You're to Blame
by Paw Print Pajamas
Summary: Life is full of up and downs. Everyone knows that. Each one is unpredictible as the next. Starts in June 1988 when Tony is 16. Alternate Universe. Note Rating change.
1. June 1988

CBS and Paramount Pictures own NCIS.

You're to Blame

**You are to blame for anything that is good in my heart. You are to blame for this change that has taken me by storm. - Mercy Me**

Chapter One – June 1988

Saturday June 11, 1988

Anthony D. DiNozzo knew that he was in over his head. He was 16. He had no money. No food. No Job. No clothes. No where to stay. And no idea how he was getting back to New York at the end of the summer.

His best friend, now ex-best friend, eighteen-year-old Jeremy Parkinson, had left him in Washington D.C. after calling his ex-girlfriend and finding out that she was pregnant. The teens never unpacked the car. Jeremy left with everything Anthony brought with him. That included $5,000.

And Jeremy knew that he had the money.

He had spent the last of his money on a cheap hot dog that afternoon. During the past week it was the only thing that he could afford. And now that the money was gone he had to rely on more drastic means to survive. He didn't want to steal. It was wrong. But stealing just enough so that he could live another day had to be different. There had to be a line between right an wrong.

He climbed a tree to get some semblance of sleep. He learned the first night that cops patrolled parks at night as didn't allow anyone to sleep on the benches. They didn't check the trees. And that made the trees safer.

Monday June 12, 1988

Anthony wasn't a stranger to nightmares. But nightmares and trees weren't meant to be mixed. The result was Anthony falling out of said tree and breaking his arm.

He has no time to worry about his arm. He couldn't afford a doctor. He couldn't rely on his father to send him money. Actually, he couldn't rely on his father for anything other than spite, negligence, and disappointment. It's been that way for longer than he could remember.

Now he had to find a target to pickpocket. His classmates had made a game out of pickpocketing each other. Anthony would watch the game but he never participated. He was also the youngest of the group; the one that everyone felt they needed to protect for no other reason than the fact that he was two years younger than the rest of them not that they were friends with him... Jeremy was the only one who tried to be a friend. Because of Jeremy the other boys wouldn't pickpocket Anthony. He figured that it couldn't be that hard.

He saw a dark haired man in his thirties getting something to drink from a vendor. He didn't put his wallet back in his pocket properly and it was poking out. Anthony followed him before reaching for the wallet. The next thing he knew he was on the ground lying on his broken arm. The man was hovering over him holding his good arm behind his back.

"You really think that's a good idea, boy." It wasn't a question and Anthony knew it. He shook his head his head 'no' anyway. "I want a real answer." He added a little pressure to his arm.

"No, sir."

"Then way did you try?"

Anthony couldn't help but to be honest. "I'm hungry."

The man pulled Anthony to his feet. "Come on." He didn't have a choice since the man had his arm in a vice grip. He was practically being dragged.

"I'm sorry, sir. Don't take me to the cops. Please! I won't do it again."

"Damn straight you won't do it again," the man muttered. "I'm not taking you to the police."

"You're letting me go, sir?" he asked hopefully.

"Nope."

"Where—" A slap to the back of his head shut him up.

They approached a redheaded woman and a little girl with big blue eyes. The man shoved Anthony on a picnic bench and placed a container of food in front of him. The woman merely shook her head in amusement. Apparently this wasn't the first time her husband had done something like this.

"I'm Shannon Gibbs." She smiled. "The man that dragged you over here is – Jethro, did you break that boy's arm," Shannon scolded.

Anthony answered before Jethro could. "No, ma'am. I broke my arm on my own."

"Why don't you have a cast on that? We're taking you to a hospital." It didn't look like she would take no for an answer. Anthony had to try anyways.

"That's alright ma'am. My father would rather I had our personal physician look after me."

"You come from money? Why did you try to steal my wallet?" By the way he looked Jethro would have guessed it.

"Jethro!"

"It's alright ma'am."

"Please call me Shannon."

"Right, Shannon." He was uncomfortable saying her first name. It wasn't considered proper where he came from to call adults by name. It was always sir or ma'am. "I was on a road trip with a friend. He kinda left me here by accident."

"Where do you live?" asked Jethro. He knew from his slight accent that he wasn't from the surrounding area. He couldn't place it though he had heard it before.

"Long Island."

"You're a long way from home... What is your name?" Shannon was embarrassed for not asking sooner.

"Anthony DiNozzo Jr." He nearly sighed in relief when the couple didn't recognize his last name. His father was a very powerful man with many contacts.

"Eat. I not taking 'no' for an answer. The same goes for going to the hospital. An untreated broken arm can have some serious complications."

He hesitated for a moment. "Can you open it for me, please?

* * *

Jethro drove them to the hospital. He saw that the kid was pale and breathing heavily. Both were signs that he was terrified. That was something Jethro found curious. His little Kelly was braver than this kid and she was only four-years-old.

Shannon went to get the paperwork they knew they needed. He held Kelly as his wife filled out the form with Anthony's... actually he refused to call the kid that; it was too much of a mouthful... Tony's information. They were surprised that he only 16. He had told them on the way to the hospital that the trip was a graduation celebration. He had the feeling there was more to it than that. The boy had to be hiding something.

They had to skip the insurance section. Tony admitted that since he had a personal physician his father just paid him cash. He wasn't sure if he believed that. It made more sense for the wealthy to have the best health insurance that money could buy. He didn't press the matter it wasn't his business.

The rest of the form was easy to fill out. Allergies and past medical history were normal questions. Though Tony did seem reluctant to admit that he had broken his arm before. He hastily claimed it was a football accident. Jethro didn't believe that either... the part that it was an accident not the part that he played football.

When the nurse called his name Tony paled even more and he started to shake.

"You want me to come with you?" offered Shannon. He looked as though he was about to say no but changed his mind and nodded his head.

The doctor took him to get an x-ray and Tony nearly had a panic attack. Dr. Meyer asked how it happened. He quickly mentioned falling out of a tree but didn't say why he was in the tree.

"It's a clean break and should heal nicely. Don't recommend driving since you are so young and don't have the experience needed to drive left-handed. Travel of any kind could get uncomfortable. Staying close to home would be best for at least a few weeks."

"Home? I live in New York. I have to travel. I can't pay if my Father doesn't know about it and he won't believe me unless he see it for himself."

"It's only a recommendation. If you have to travel far it should be aisle seat on a plane." He smiled to reassure him.

Shannon went back to the waiting room to talk to Jethro while Tony had his arm plastered. Kelly was playing in a corner. She was glad that they could be alone. Somethings she wanted to say weren't meant for ears of a four-year-old.

"Jethro, there's something odd about that boy."

"You other than the fact that he broke his arm 300 miles from home. Or the that he's 300 miles from home without any adult supervision. Then there's the fact that he's 300 miles from home. Yes, there is something odd about that boy and we are not getting involved."

"I asked the doctor to give him a full physical."

"Shannon..."

"There's something about him Jethro. He needs us."

"You don't know that."

She gave him a long stare. "You taught me a long time ago to trust my instincts. And my instincts are telling me to help him."

"We don't know anything about Tony."

"Tony huh? I thought his name was Anthony." She smiled at Jethro. "Admit it. You like him."

"It doesn't matter whether I like him or not. Anthony just doesn't suite him. He's a Tony. He just doesn't know it yet."

Shannon knew what he meant. Anthony was too formal for a kid.

"Can we keep him?" Her crystal eyes bore into his steely blue ones.

"He's not a lost puppy. We have to find him a way back to New York. I just don't know how. I don't think our car can make a trip like that and plane tickets aren't in our budget right now. He has his own family that's probably wondering were he is."

"I don't think that's true. If you remember, he refused to put down his address and phone number on the form.

"I have to get back to his room. I'll take Kelly with me so you can get yourself a cup of coffee. It must have been hours since your last dose of that vile stuff you drink."

"Don't you start going after my coffee," he growled at her playfully.

She only smiled and kissed him on the cheek before collecting her daughter.

* * *

Tony watched Shannon watch him. He couldn't help but wonder why she was helping him like this. No one paid this kind of attention to him. It was very confusing for him. It was almost as if she cared. But that wasn't possible. He was nothing to her. He wasn't sure what to make of her and her husband. He had never met anyone like them before.

The doctor was telling him that he needed to take better care of himself. He was underweight for a sixteen-year-old. It didn't make sense because when he left school he was at a healthy weight. Though living on hotdogs and water wasn't the best idea. He had to put on ten pounds to be considered to be in shape.

The doctor gave him a prescription for painkillers that Tony insisted that he didn't need. His arm didn't hurt that much. But Shannon said that Jethro was very good at getting people to take their medicine and it would be better not to fight.

"Hon, you're coming home with us tonight and then we can figure out what we are going to do with you in the morning. You could do with a home cooked meal. I think you should call your parents. They would want to know what happened to you."

Shannon saw that Tony's olive complexion turned pasty white again but she didn't say anything about it. She figured he was just uncomfortable with staying at an unfamiliar house.

"We live on the Marine Base. It's probably the safest place to live in Washington."

Tony watched Shannon as she made dinner. The smile on her face fascinated him. His mother never smiled like that. Her smiles were fake and even those were never directed at him. Shannon's smiles were real. She smiled for no reason. Tony have never known anyone to smile just for the sake of smiling.

Jethro was in the backyard with Kelly. _They _were playing. Tony felt a twinge of jealousy. His father never spent more time with him than what he deemed necessary. He accepted that a long time ago. It didn't mean that it hurt any less. He just wasn't important enough. Money and social status were more important.

Kelly was important. Tony could see that in the way her parents interacted with her. She was the little princess and she knew it. She was daddy's little girl and proud of it.

Shannon forced him from his thoughts.

"You look bored. I could use some help making dessert." Tony stared at her with wide eyes. "If you can graduate high school at 16 you can make a cake. Don't worry it's a simple recipe and you it shouldn't hinder you too much using only your left arm."

"But..."

All she did was glare at him until he took the bowl from her. As soon as he did she was smiling again.

* * *

Dinner at the DiNozzo mansion was always a silent affair unless his father was entertaining a client. Even then Tony was expected to remain quiet until he was excused. Then he was sent to his room for the rest of the evening.

The Gibbs family was the complete opposite. Well, Shannon and Kelly loved to talk about everything and nothing. Jethro would add a comment or two whenever he could. Mostly it seemed he enjoyed listening to his girls babble on.

Tony just sat quietly like he was trained to. So it startled him when Shannon spoke to him.

"So, what's your story?"

"I don't really have one." He avoided the question.

"Nonsense. Everyone has a story, even the young."

He thought it over. He did owe them the truth after everything that they did for him even though they didn't have. "OK, I'll tell you what you want to know. You probably saved my life. Just, I don't want to talk about it in front of the kid."

"Alright, how about basic questions? Where did you go to school?" Shannon was curious about him and he found that to be odd.

"Rhode Island Military Academy. I was the top of my class and the star athlete for both football and basketball."

"Which did you like better?" Sports seemed to be a safe subject even though she wasn't fond of them.

"Definitely football, ma'am. I wanted to go pro but my father wanted me to go to Harvard business school." He shut his mouth firmly when he realized what he said. Jethro noticed this and prompted him to tell them about some of his games. They were surprised to find that he was a gifted story teller.

Shannon brought out Tony's cake while he was telling them how he had managed saved to game with a touchdown when there was only ten seconds left on the clock.

"Mommy, that cake looks funny." she wrinkled her little nose.

"Just eat it, Kelly. It won't hurt you to try."

She was right. Even though it was severely lopsided, the cake tasted good.

* * *

Tony was sent to the living room while Shannon and Jethro put Kelly to bed. He remembered having nannies that made sure he was in his room with the light off at the appointed time and then locking him in. It didn't matter to any of them that he was terrified of his room. He would have bet anything that Kelly wasn't afraid to sleep in her own bed and if she was her parents would comfort her and tell her that everything was alright... just like those TV families that he sometimes watched.

He heard Jethro telling her a story. He recognized it as _Charlotte's Web. _He remembered reading it in third grade, before he was forced to skip a grade for the first time. Jethro's soft voice nearly put him to sleep as he read through the first chapter.

Kelly must have fallen asleep because he soon heard footsteps coming toward him. He wasn't ready to tell them the truth. He pretended to be sleeping.

"We know you're awake, Tony." He gave Jethro a confused look at the shortened version of his name. "Get used to being called 'Tony'. No way in hell am I going keep calling you Anthony."

"We have a lot questions Tony. The first is whether you took those painkillers that you were given. You will feel a lot better if you did."

"I'm not a fan of painkillers. They make me act funny." He was in pain but he wasn't going to take those pills before a serious conversation. He might reveal something that he would rather keep secret.

"Take them. I won't let Jethro make you do anything that's too embarrassing." Tony wasn't sure if she was teasing him or Jethro. Shannon went to the kitchen and to a glass of water to go with the medicine. He took one of the tiny pills with a deep sigh. This was going to be a long night.

"Now, can you tell us your story? I know you have one." She smiled kindly _at_ him.

"I don't know where to begin."

"Rule 15: always start at the beginning and work yourself down."

"You got a rule for everything?" asked Tony.

"Working on it! Everyone needs a code they can live by."

Jethro chuckled at the familiar words. He asked the same question twelve years ago when he first meet Shannon in Stillwater. "Start when you're ready."

"Do you know how high society families work?" Neither responded knowing that it was a rhetorical question. "I'm sure not all of the families are like this, but in my father's circle, the first born son always takes over the family business and the daughters are just there so more sons can be born. I didn't want that life. I did everything I could think of to rebel.

"One day I went too far and I was sent to Rhode Island."

"What did you do?" asked Shannon.

"I proved beyond a reasonable doubt that I am smarter than my father and his entire staff." The adults just waited for an explanation. "My father uses computers for data storage. I managed to hack my way into his personal computer. Really, who uses 'zucchini' as their password. He should have used 'tomato' for all the good it did." Tony giggled a little before sobering.

"Impressive." Jethro didn't know anything about computers but it seemed appropriate to say that.

"What's impressive is the fact that I slipped past my father's security without anyone noticing. My father sent me away for that. He didn't like that I embarrassed him. He had the maid tell me that he was sending me the military school. I needed discipline if I were to be the head of a major corporation.

"He sent me a letter telling me that I was going to Harvard. I didn't even apply. All I wanted was to play pro-ball. I wrote beck and told him that I was going to Ohio State. He refused to pay. It's impossible for me to get a scholarship or a loan because of who my father is. He told me that I'm not allowed to come home until I agree to go to Harvard. I got $5,000 and a suitcase of clothes when I said no."

"What about your mother?" Shannon had a feeling that she already knew the answer and she really hoped that she was wrong.

"She died over six years ago, ma'am. She couldn't deny my father anything if she were alive."

Wednesday June 15, 1988

Tony wrote to Jeremy so he could have his stuff back. Surprisingly, he sent almost everything back to him, including most of his money. He used some of it to overnight his belongings. Tony was angry that most of what he spent was used on his girlfriend. Jeremy wasn't nearly as wealthy as the DiNozzo family but he wasn't exactly poor either. Then again not that many of the students' families were as wealthy as the DiNozzo's. That was one of the reasons that he was sent to Rhode Island and not some other prep school. DiNozzo Senor wanted to show off his status even when he was denying Tony everything that he grew up with. But that was all part of being wealth though.

He wrote that he was sorry for leaving; it couldn't have been helped. Trisha needed him. He could take care of himself if he really needed. He was trained to survive in most situations. Tony snorted at that. Nothing could have prepared him to survive on the streets of Washington D.C. He far too used to having a roof over his head, thank you very much.

At the bottom of the note that was included Jeremy wrote that his father was getting married again and he was expected to be there. The wedding was to be held on July 8th, Tony's seventeenth birthday. Jethro told him to write back and claim that he had a previous engagement planned that couldn't be canceled. Whether or not that was true didn't matter.

Friday June 17, 1988

Jethro found himself growing more and more curious of Tony DiNozzo's past every day. The kid was awkward around people, especially Kelly. He knew Tony never experienced a normal childhood so it wasn't that unusual that he didn't know how to interact with children but Tony didn't seem to know how to have fun. Jethro watched as Tony tried to figure out how Kelly's toys worked. Most of the toys were for little girls but many of games had been around for years and Tony should have been at least familiar with them.

Kelly only saw Tony as a new playmate and would beg him to play. She would only giggle when Tony made a mistake and tell how to do something the right way. She knew instinctively not to ask him to play pretend games with her. Shannon and Jethro ask why she didn't play those games with him.

Shannon was up to something that no one other than possibly Kelly knew about. She left soon after breakfast saying that she would bring back dinner. She said nothing about where she was going.

There was no reason for them to stay inside all day. Jethro had Kelly change into her swimsuit so that she could run through the sprinklers. Tony couldn't get his cast wet so he brought out a few books. Shannon had taken him to the library. He picked out mostly mystery novels but he also got a few of the classics when Shannon insisted that he read them. He agreed as long as he didn't have to read George Orwell.

By lunch Kelly was ready to come inside. She had goose bumps on her arms even though it was warm outside. She ran past Tony into the house.

"Kelly, no running in the house!" scolded Jethro.

Tony was curious how Jethro would deal with Kelly breaking the rules. His own father would have spanked him hard enough that he couldn't sit... but that may have been because he was making noise and not because he was running in the mansion. Right now it seemed he was going to let her change first.

"We're having grilled cheese for lunch," Jethro told Tony as he butter some bread.

"What's grilled cheese?"

"You never had grilled cheese sandwiches before?" That did surprise Jethro as much as it would have a few days ago. Most to Shannon's cooking was met with curious trepidation.

"Daddy makes the best grilled cheese."

"Thanks Kel, but you're still in trouble. You're getting water with your sandwich instead of chocolate milk."

"But―"

"You ran in the house, Squirt. It could be worse. He could give you plain bread to go with that water," Tony teased.

"I did tell you not to run in the house."

"Yes, Daddy."

"You know, you never told me that I can't run in the house. Does that mean that I'm allowed to?" Tony got a smack to back of his head for that. "I'll take that as a no."

Saturday June 18, 1988

Babysitting was the last thing that came to Tony's mind when he woke up that morning. In fact, it didn't cross his mind at all. But Shannon announced that Kelly hadn't been punished to her standards and would have to stay home while she and Jethro went to the grocery store. Apparently this was a huge punishment for little Kelly since she loved going to the store with her parents.

That left Kelly with Tony.

He had hoped that meant that they would be watching cartoons while she sat quietly. He had no such luck. Kelly wanted to do arts and crafts... more specifically she was making a Fathers' Day card. She asked if he wanted to make one as well but he quickly made the excuse that he couldn't write with his left hand.

Fathers' Day wasn't something that was celebrated at the DiNozzo mansion. He learned early on that any crafts he made soon made its home in the garbage. Quite unlike Kelly's projects that seemed to cover not just the refrigerator but nearly every flat surface that was available.

When Kelly was done with the card. She wanted to paint. Only problem with that was the fact the was on the top self of her closet. She knew that the rule was that she was only allowed to paint when one of her parents was around so that she didn't make a mess. But with Tony around that shouldn't be a problem....

"No way Squirt. I'm not letting you paint until your mom and dad get ho... back."

"But―" She stuck out her lip in a fashion that always got her daddy to do her bidding.

"I'm not falling for your pout. Only your dad falls for that."

"Is that so?" said a voice from behind him.

Jethro expected Tony to cringe but he got a smile instead. "Yup. Sorry to say but you have a condition known as wrapped-around-baby's-finger syndrome."

Sunday June 19, 1988 – Fathers' Day

Tony was woken early by an excitable four-year-old. By the way Kelly was behaving you would have thought that it was Christmas, not Fathers' Day. He ignored her and rolled onto his left side. Kelly started to jump on the bed. He sat up to glare at her but one glance at her in her princess pajamas made his entire resolve crumble. He was putty.

The day before he had agreed to help Kelly make breakfast. He didn't know that involved getting up before even the sun thought it was an appropriate hour to be awake. He never willingly got out of bed this early if he didn't have to.

He got out of bed with the word 'putty' running through his mind.

Kelly wasn't much of a help. More often than not she was a hindrance. Mostly he allowed her to stir and there really wasn't that much that needed to be stirred.

He would never admit that he was having fun. Kelly had turned on the radio to a station that was playing '60's rock. Tony sang along while Kelly danced around to the Beatles. He had never behaved so childishly before.... not even when he was a child. Neither of them noticed that they were being watched.

Shannon and Jethro were having a hard time trying not to laugh. They didn't want to scare Tony into thinking that he was misbehaving. That would have more counterproductive than anything that they could do.

They were glad that Kelly had taken a liking to Tony. She never became attached to anyone as quickly as she became attached to Tony. And Tony was slowly becoming attached to Kelly as well. It would cause too much heartbreak to separate them now.

Later that afternoon Jethro took Kelly and Tony to the batting cages. He promised Kelly that they would go long before they met Tony. With his broken arm all he really could do was watch. It didn't bother him. He preferred sports that had more action and less waiting. He didn't have the patience for baseball. Jethro said that they could go again once Tony's arm was healed.

Kelly couldn't even hold her bat the right way no matter how many times she was corrected. It was funny to watch how frustrated she got when she missed each ball.

* * *

Kelly was in bed when Jethro and Shannon had Tony sit in the living room. Shannon was the first to speak up.

"Tony, I met with a friend of mine yesterday about your situation. She's a lawyer. We can't keep you."

"When do I have to leave?"

"I didn't say you didn't have options. You can either petition or sue your father for abandoning you and get thrown into the foster care system. The first option would legally make you an adult."

"But..."

"But you would have to prove that you can provide for yourself. And since up until last week you were living on the streets that isn't likely going to happen. You will likely be disowned no matter what you do."

"If you sue you'll at least have a chance," said Jethro. "Your father will likely go to jail and pay for what he did to you for the rest of his life."

"I don't care about the money."

"You may not care about it but it rightfully yours. You deserve something from him. You will be left with nothing if you don't fight for it... Your family may even consider you to be a traitor."

"I don't care. I'll do it."

"Good because we have court on the eleventh."


	2. July 1988

CBS and Paramount Pictures own NCIS.

You're to Blame

**You are to blame for anything that is good in my heart. You are to blame for this change that has taken me by storm. - Mercy Me**

Chapter two – July 1988

Monday July 4, 1988

The last time Tony had seen the fireworks was when he was ten, nearly eleven. His latest nanny had taken him into Manhattan so he could watch the show. His mother had passed away only an month earlier. He had been glad to to away from his father's demands for even one day.

Now six years later, he was looking at a different type of freedom. If things went his way his father would no longer have any type of control over him. It was something that he desperately needed.

For the past few weeks he had been preparing for court. Gwen Franklin, Shannon's lawyer friend, was doing the case Pro Bono. But she did that for all cases that involved kids no matter how old they were. Otherwise Tony would have felt guilty for taking advantage of her.

Right now the lawsuit was the last thing Tony wanted to think about. All that mattered were the hot dogs and hamburgers Jethro was teaching him how to grill to perfection. His father would turn his nose on the food. If anything was grilled at the mansion it would have been steak or shrimp. Tony thought it smelled great.

It wasn't long after everything was done and taken off the grill that they heard a new and, to Jethro, unwelcome voice. "Is there enough for one more?"

Tony stood half hidden behind Jethro. He was still weary of strangers. He relaxed when he saw Kelly give him a hug. Shannon had told him about her ability to know when she could trust someone. Plus the others seemed to know the man.

"What are you dong here, Dad? Kelly's birthday isn't for another six weeks."

"Don't be like that Leroy. I'll be gone by tomorrow afternoon."

"Fine. We don't have the room so you'll have to sleep on the couch."

"Why can't I have the guestroom?" Jackson hadn't noticed Tony.

"That's Tony's room," answered Shannon kindly. "Tony step out from from behind Jethro. Jackson doesn't bite." Tony did as he was told. "Sweetie, this is Jackson, Jethro's father. Jack, Tony is going to be staying with us for awhile. Now, let's eat before the food gets cold."

* * *

The park was packed with families. Each one was looking for the perfect spot to watch the fireworks. Kelly found a spot under a sycamore. It really was a great spot, perfect for people watching and Tony liked to watch people.

He watched as a boy, a geek no older than ten or eleven, chase around his little sister. He was never going to catch her and he knew it. She was probably three or four and was much faster than her brother. Neither of them noticed the four older boys that were approaching them. Tony saw them and knew that they were bullies. They couldn't have been that smart if they thought going after the kid in the middle of a crowded park was a good idea.

Tony told the others that he was getting an ice cream, even promised to bring Kelly a chocolate cone, and went after the kid. He had a feeling that Jethro knew what he was doing.

The geek and the girl were surrounded by the time Tony reached them. He tapped the biggest bully on the shoulder.

"You know, that's a really bad idea."

Tony hadn't thought this through. He hoped that he could intimidate the bullies and they would leave the kid alone. That didn't happen.

"What we do with our friend is none of your business. Isn't that right, Timmy."

"A friend, huh? Well, I never seen someone so scared of a friend that were about to wet their pants while they were with friends before."

"They must have been horrible friends." The kid took a swing at Tony. He dodged expertly but he was a little off balance.

"That was another bad idea." He grabbed the bully's arm and whirled him around so that his back was facing him. His friends just stood there.

It was then that a police officer showed up. Tony really thought he had the worst luck.

"Is there a problem, boys?" He eyed Tony as he let go of the kid. The bullies answered 'no' but Tony told the truth.

"Those four were about to beat up Tiny Tim over there. I stopped them. That one," Tony motioned to the bully he just let go, "tried to hit me.

The cop gave gave Tony a calculating look. "I'll take you guys back to your parents."

"That won't be necessary. That one is mine." Jethro silently appeared out of no where.

"Um, hi?"

"Let's go Tony. Kelly's been waiting for her ice cream."

"You're not going to throw me out?" he asked perplexed.

"Nope." The simple answer confused Tony.

"But I got into trouble with the police." Jethro didn't say anything. He had to get Tony to figure out for himself that someone cared about him and that he had worth. Even if that little fact was an enigma. "I couldn't let that kid get beat up. It's not right."

"Were you ever beat up?" Tony wasn't expecting the question. He didn't have a reason not to answer.

"I was ten in a class of kids a year older than me. They all hated that I was smarter than them. The teacher always told my classmates should be more like me. It only last a year and a half."

"That was when you were moved again."

"Yeah."

They got the ice cream and went back to Kelly, Shannon, and Jackson. Kelly was chattering nonstop as she made a mess of her cone. She was excited. Tony couldn't remember ever being that excited... not when he was around his family. He couldn't even remember the last time he spent time with his father and enjoyed it. Actually, he couldn't remember the last time he spent time with his father period. It had to of been years.

He mentally shook himself. He refused to think about that; it was depressing. Shannon told him to have fun today. It was always a bad idea to go against what Shannon tells him to do. He learned that very quickly. If she wanted him to enjoy this outing then he would try to as hard as he could.

It wasn't long before the fireworks started. The show in Manhattan was great but it missed a certain flare that Washington had in abundance. Tony wasn't sure what New York didn't have but he had a feeling that it had something to do with the people he was with. Shannon and Jethro showed that they cared. He didn't understand why but that didn't matter at the moment. His nanny was obligated to stay with him but the people he was with now weren't and he was going to enjoy it for as long as he could.

Tuesday July 5, 1988

It was still dark when Tony suddenly woke. Another nightmare. He hadn't had one of those in nearly a week... a record for him. Living in a dorm trained him not to scream out. His roommates didn't appreciate the late night wake up calls.

His plan was to get a drink of water and then go back to his room. However, the sound of voices made that impossible. Jethro and Jackson were having an argument in the kitchen. He would have gone back to his bedroom if he hadn't heard his name.

"Tony is a good kid, Dad."

"You don't know that Leroy. He could be using you. Let me guess, the kid gave you some sob story. That he's homeless and his parents don't want him."

"He was homeless and his father doesn't want him. I found him with an untreated broken arm."

"And you believe him?"

"Yes, I do."

"I raised you better than that. You can't help everyone. And I saw what he was wearing; I recognize can a designer label when I see one."

"Yes, he's from money but that doesn't matter, Dad. He was left on his own when he's only sixteen-years-old. Tony needs me."

"I really hope you know what you're doing."

"I want you out of my house after breakfast. You will not speak to me like I'm some kid who doesn't know anything about the world. Not in my home," snarled Jethro.

"Fine, make the biggest mistake of your life. You seem to be good at that."

The kitchen light then went out. Tony made his way back to his bedroom silently. He didn't want either man knowing that he was listening. He always got into trouble of eavesdropping.

He was more confused than ever. In a way he could understand why Jethro and Shannon let him stay in their home. But to defend him like Jethro just had was foreign to Tony. No one had ever done anything like that for him before.

The glass of water for forgotten.

Friday July 8, 1988

It was Tony's seventeenth birthday.

For the past week he thought that it would go by like it did every year... unnoticed. His father was never one to spend money when he didn't have to. His son's birthday was no exception. It was his mother that would throw him a party. They were always formal, meaning uncomfortable suits and ballroom dancing was involved. By the time he was four he writhing his own 'Thank You' notes to people he didn't even know of like.

When he woke that morning streamers were everywhere. Red, blue, green, yellow, and even that ugly orange covered every surface. Balloons of every color floated on the ceiling and were strewn across the floor.

He had never seen anything like it. He loved it.

The whole mess screamed 'Shannon'. Tony did notice that she had the tendency of going overboard for those she cared about.

Shannon had invited Gwen to dinner. She was about to say she couldn't come because she had her niece staying with her, but instead asked if the girl could come as well. Shannon agreed, knowing that Tony needed friends his own age.

So Gwen and Kathryn, the niece, arrived at 6:30. Shannon had never met Kathryn but had to admit that the girl was pretty. She had caramel-colored hair and deep chocolate eyes that had tints of gold around the irises.

"Why don't you two kids go out for a walk? Dinner won't be ready for awhile." She gave them a smile. Kelly is coloring so it's best if you let her be."

"Well, that was subtle," joked Kathryn.

"Yeah, I guess they want us to be friends."

"Ya think?"

They walked on in silence. Neither one of them knew what to say to the other. Tony still wasn't used to talking to people he didn't know.

"So, Tony, tell me about yourself."

"'Tell me about yourself'. Is that the best you can come up with?" He didn't know why he said that.

"You weren't saying anything. I was just trying to start a conversation," snapped Kathryn.

"Wow. Kitten has claws." He meant it as a joke but her reaction just made it her new nickname.

"Don't call me 'Kitten'."

"Fine. I didn't mean anything behind it." He turned back toward the house. "I'm going back. Follow if you want."

Kathryn didn't say anything but did follow him back. It wasn't dark and wouldn't be for at least another two hours but she wasn't foolish enough to be caught alone in an unfamiliar city. It wasn't her fault that Tony was being a jerk toward her. She was trying to be polite and get to know him. It also wasn't her fault that she glared at him all the way back.

Dinner was ready when they got back. If the adults noticed the two teens were barely acknowledging each other they didn't say anything. Jethro, for one, didn't miss the glares Kathryn was sending Tony. He also didn't miss the confused glances he sent back.

After dinner was presents. Kelly insisted that she gave Tony her gift first. Like most gifts little girls her age gave, it was a drawing. It was actually very good likeness to the three Gibbs and Tony. He thanked her with a sweet kiss to the top of her head. He had seen Shannon do it so he knew that Kelly wouldn't mind.

Kathryn reluctantly handed him his next present. Inside the bag were a few movies, James Bond were the majority but he also saw _'The Princess Bride'. _It was Kathryn's favorite movie. Tony wasn't so sure about it.

Gwen got him a journal. He wasn't sure if he would use it but he did appreciate the effort. It did look like a normal book so if he ever had any friends over they wouldn't know the difference.

Shannon and Jethro gave Tony their present last.

"Paint chips?"

"This is your home now. You need to make your room more personal. We could paint, get new bedding. That kind of thing."

Tony had never felt so overwhelmed before. Impulsively, he gave them both hugs. That was the first time he instigated touch. He never touched anyone if he could help it. "Thank you."

Sunday July 10, 1988

Tony had been on many planes during the last 17 years. The longest flight had to of been the one to Hawaii. This flight between Washington DC and New York had to of been one of the shortest.

That didn't stop Tony from babbling nonstop. The plus side was that it seemed to annoy Kathryn. Anything that bothered her was a good thing in Tony's eyes. Sitting next to her only made torturing her all the easier.

Jethro had to stay behind. He had a training mission that his CO, Lieutenant Colonel Ryan, would kill him if he didn't show up to.

Monday July 11, 1988

The courthouse was small, very much unlike the ones in cities. Gwen was thankful about that. That meant fewer people were hanging around. She had also requested a closed courtroom. Tony was still a minor no matter who his father was.

Tony fidgeted in his seat next to Gwen when the door opened. Shannon put a comforting hand on his shoulder. The both of them refused to look at the defendant's side of the room. It was only a few minutes later that the bailiff was introducing the case as the judge entered.

It was silent for a moment and then...

"May I ask where your client is Mr. Phillips?" the judge addressed the defendant.

"Mr. DiNozzo is on his honeymoon in Paris, Your Honor. I'm here to represent him."

"Mr. Phillips, in my court I expect all parties to be present. Since that isn't the case, I find Anthony Dinozzo Sr. guilty of child neglect and abandonment. He is to surrender himself with in the next 30 days for sentencing or a very public warrant for his arrest will be issued. I also award Anthony DiNozzo Jr. half of the family estate. Honestly, I would have given you more but he has to pay lawyer fees and alimony somehow."

Mr. Phillips left at those words. He was not looking forward to telling his boss that they lost to his son just because he decided not to show up.

Gwen stopped the judge from leaving. "Your Honor, may we have a moment longer of your time?" she asked. At the judge's nod she continued. "As you know Tony is now a ward of the state. The family that took him in for the past month wants to keep him. However, they aren't registered foster parents. The likelihood that Tony is placed in a home is very slim at his age."

"What are you proposing Ms. Franklin?" asked the judge.

"Adoption. I have the forms filled out. All I need are a few signatures, yours and Tony's." She approached the bench with the papers.

"You are Shannon Gibbs." He gave her a studying glance.

"Yes."

"Where is your husband? The file says that you are married."

"Jethro is a Marine. His responsibilities to his country kept him away. He's on a training mission."

The judge thought about it over. There was a background check on the Gibbs family included and he found no reason to keep the boy from the family. He signed the papers. Seconds later, so did Tony.

* * *

After a quick stop to the hotel to change clothes they headed out to do some shopping. Tony tried to convince Shannon and Gwen that he was more than happy to stay in the room and watch television.

They disagreed.

For some reason they thought that it was a good idea for Tony to carry all the bags. Shannon was on a budget. Gwen and Kathryn were not. By the time they were done they had him buried. He had to tell them that his arm was hurting to get them to stop shopping and to get some of the bags off. Shannon saw the look in his eyes and knew that it wasn't a lie. Plus, she knew Tony never complained about being in pain.

Thursday July 19, 1988

It was early when Kelly decided that she wanted to see a movie that afternoon at the theater. Shannon spared Tony from seeing a kids' movie. He was given the whole house to himself. It was the perfect opportunity to paint. Before they left, Jethro and Shannon cleared the room since there was no way he could do it on his own. They did remind that he didn't have to paint on his own.

Ten minutes later he realized that they were right. He made a phone call.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Kitten!"

Kathryn sighed. "What do you want Tony?"

"What? Can't I call my favorite Kat?"

"Don't mess with me."

"Alright. I'm painting my room and I need your help. Can you come?"

"No." The answer was very matter of fact.

"Why not?" whined Tony.

"Because I don't like you." She thought that was obvious.

"Will you come over if I promise pizza and a movie?"

There was a pause on her end of the phone as she thought about it. "Make that Thai instead of pizza and I get to pick out the movie."

"That sounds fair. See you in ten?" She could hear the hope in his voice.

"Fine."

It was ten minutes later that Kathryn arrived. She was wearing old torn jeans and a t-shirt that had a band on it that Tony didn't recognize. He never would say it out loud, but he thought that she looked cute. She also brought a radio.

"What kind of music do you want to listen to?"

"I'm not sure. The last time I really listened to music Disco was still alive." He didn't know how to explain he lack of knowledge of the latest bands without looking pathetic. "My mother would only listen to the classics, Frank Sinatra and stuff like that. Sometimes she would have me play for her. I've been playing piano since I was four. That's all I really remember about her... her taste in music."

Kathryn could tell he was uncomfortable with talking about his mother. "I guess your school isn't to big on music."

"My school isn't big on individualism. I went to military school. I'm glad I'm done with that."

They worked on opposite walls. Sometimes Kathryn would sing along with one of the songs on the radio. She didn't care that she wasn't that great of a singer. It was all about having fun. One song, by Cyndi Lauper called 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun', seemed to be her favorite since she stopped what she doing and started to dance around. Tony laughed as she showed off.

It didn't take that long for the two of them the finish the first coat. Tony was done first so he ordered the food as she did the last of her second wall. He was still on the phone when Kathryn put in a movie the player. The box was placed on top of the TV. He tried to suppress a groan when he saw the title— _'The Princess Bride'. _

"No complaining. I promise that you'll love it. Now, sit down, relax, and, enjoy the movie." It was scary that she made that sound like a threat.

98 minutes and several cartons of Thai later, Tony was admitting that he liked the movie.

"So, friends?" asked Tony. He held out his hand.

"Fine friends."

They were still sitting on the couch laughing when the family got home. The teens went quiet when they saw the look on Jethro's face.

"Kathryn, I think it's time for you to go home." Jethro led Tony out of the room.

"Tony, we have to discuss a few rules with you. I don't mind that you have friends over but I would like myself or Shannon to be home when you do or at least know that you are having someone over. But if it's a girl... even just a friend... one of us has to be home. Alright?"

"I screwed up. Didn't I?"

"No. You didn't know. I should have told you this before. You're not in trouble." His words reassured Tony. "Now, let's get that room done."

Thursday July 22, 1988

Tony was about the celebrate a new kind of freedom.... the use of both hands. He was finally getting his cast off. His doctor had him keep it on longer than was originally planned. The bone wasn't healing as quickly as they thought it would... or should.

Jethro was the only one that could come with him. They had an appointment but by the look of things in the waiting room they weren't going to see the doctor any time soon. Tony buried himself behind a book to keep his mind occupied.

An hour later his arm was free.

Sunday July 31, 1988

Tony was bored. He was doing the same thing nearly every single day. Hanging out with his new family was great. However, he wanted friends that were his age— guy friends. Kathryn was a good friend but there are just some things that you can't talk to a girl about.

Getting his own car was probably the surest way to get those friends that he wanted. He didn't want to rely on Shannon or Jethro to take him everywhere. It wouldn't be fair to either of them. He would be able to go wherever it is that normal teenagers go during the summer. He knew that some of his classmates went to the park to play basketball or football. He could do that.

Plus, having his own car would mean that he could go to college. While Ohio State was out of the question he could still go to George Washington University. He did apply and was accepted; the only one in his class that was. It would give him something to do while Kelly was in kindergarten. If he had a car it would be easier for him to get to classes. He really would consider going.

There was no reason why he couldn't have a car. He was responsible and he did have the money. Jethro and Shannon had control over it until he turned 18 but he could still use it on a car, or college, if one of them approved the transaction.

It didn't even have to be a new car. He understood the need the remain discreet. Jethro didn't want anyone knowing the whole story behind how Tony ended up living with them. Only Colonel Ryan knew everything.

He did want a Mustang though. A black one. He wanted one ever since he was a kid. Mainly it was because his father would never approve of him driving a Ford let alone riding in one. All of the DiNozzo's automobiles were foreign... mostly Italian, Ferrari was a favorite.

That was the reason why he grabbed the classifieds from the newspaper as soon as he could. And as luck would have it, there was a black 1985 Mustang GT convertible on the second page of the ads. He had to have it.

Jethro was the first person he saw after finding the ad. He literally shoved it under Jethro's nose.

"Please?"

Jethro rolled his eyes. The kid really was amusing sometimes. "You can have a car, but I have one condition."

"I'll do anything."

"I have to look at it first. If I find something wrong with it you'll have to find a different one. Got it?" Tony nodded enthusiastically. "Good. We can look at it tomorrow."

A/N I made a tiny mistake in the last chapter. I gave Kelly the wrong age for the birthday I wanted to give her. She is now four nearly five.


	3. August 1988

CBS and Paramount Pictures own NCIS.

You're to Blame

**You are to blame for anything that is good in my heart. You are to blame for this change that has taken me by storm. - Mercy Me**

Chapter three– August 1988

Monday August 1, 1988

It was the biggest day of Tony's life. The day that every little boy dreams of. The day that he got his first car. There was no doubt in Tony's mind that he wasn't getting the car. He hadn't even seen it yet and knew that he was meant to have that car.

He had to wait until after lunch before Jethro agreed to take a look at the car. The lot was in Bethesda so it wasn't that far and didn't take long to get there. Jethro allowed Tony's chatter because he had never seen him this excited before. He was usually subdued unless he was playing with Kelly.

Tony went straight to the Mustang while Jethro talked to the salesman. He told him exactly what he wanted and how much he was willing to pay... never mind the fact that it wasn't his money and Tony didn't care how much he had to pay to get the car.

When they went outside so that Jethro could inspect the Mustang they found Tony sitting behind the wheel. The salesman smirked. He knew he had a sale.

"He looks like he belongs there."

"Yeah, he does. Tony, pop the hood." He gave him a salute. Jethro couldn't help but chuckle at Tony's antics. "You're not one of my Marines, kid. Don't salute me."

"Sir, yes, sir!" joked Tony. Jethro laughed again. He could get used to seeing Tony happy. He wanted to get used to seeing Tony happy.

Everything seemed to be in order. The windshield wipers were a little worn but that was an easy fix. If they were lucky they could have them replaced by the dealership.

"Can I have her?" Tony pleaded. Jethro pretended to think about it then nodded. Jethro took out the checkbook for Tony's account and paid for the Mustang in full.

Tuesday August 2, 1988

Jethro and Shannon weren't people who watched a lot of television. They kept one mainly to keep up with national and international news. So when Gwen, who knows this little fact, called them late one night to tell them the turn on ZNN, they were curious.

"—cooperation was sentenced today. Charges included child abandonment and neglect. DiNozzo, who failed to appear at his trial on July 11, will be serving 15 years in a medium security prison. DiNozzo's lawyers are not commenting―"

Shannon turned off the television.

"It's finally over. But 15 years does seem to be a little excessive. There must be something else to the charges than child abandonment."

"He deserves it for what he did to Tony."

Friday August 5, 1988

Tony hadn't realized that he never told anyone about going to George Washington University until the letter arrived. He didn't know that Shannon and Jethro would care about something like that. His father sure didn't care about him going to college unless it was Harvard Business School. It was just that he wasn't used to having people, adults, care about what he's doing or where he goes. He knew that his new family was different but Tony's mind was conditioned to believe that he wasn't important.

And now Jethro was angry, at least that's what it seemed like to Tony.

"You going to explain why you didn't tell us about this." Jethro held up the letter.

"Uh..."

"We're not mad," explained Shannon.

"I didn't think it mattered. It's just school."

"Sweetie, this is more that 'just school'. You are the first in the family to go to a university. That is a very big deal."

"But―"

"You are family, Tony. Blood only counts for so much. Do you understand?" Tony nodded. "Good. Now, tell us what classes you're taking."

Wednesday August 10, 1988

Kelly's birthday was fast approaching. Tony had no idea to get his little sister. She loved Strawberry Shortcake dolls but Jethro and Shannon were already getting her a new one. He didn't want to get her a toy and clothes were to impersonal.

That left jewelery.

Shannon brought him to the mall since he didn't know the way. She pointed him in the right direction and then went to the food court. She did remind him that even though he was wealthy he did have a limit to what he could spend.

He stayed away from anything that had a gem. Stuff like that would have been out of his price range that Jethro set for him. He wouldn't have gotten her a gem anyways. She would have thought that it was costume jewelery. Plus, that just wasn't something you gave to a five-year-old.

Earrings were a no go. Shannon had told him that Kelly wasn't getting her ears pierced until she was a little older. There was no point in getting her a gift that she couldn't wear. Rings were also out of the question. Many came without a gem but she was too young for something like that. It was also unlikely that she would actually wear it. Plus her fingers were still growing so it was very impractical to get her something expensive that would sit in a box gathering dust.

He was drawn to the charm bracelets. He had classmates that had younger sisters that wore similar bracelets. Kelly would like something like that even if she didn't wear it all the time.

His gaze was torn from the charm bracelets when he saw the perfect gift.

Friday August 12, 1988

When Kelly woke up there were pink balloons covering her ceiling. For a moment she was confused as to why but then she let out a high pitch squeal that was heard though out the house. It was her birthday. She was finally five-years-old.

"Waffles!" called Shannon. This caused another squeal. Kelly ran from her room toward the kitchen. Luckily Tony literally caught her before Jethro or Shannon saw her running in the house. He through her over his shoulder causing her to giggle.

"Slow down, Squirt. You don't want mom and dad to cancel your party, do you? Running in the house is a sure way for that to happen."

"No. I won't run. I promise."

"Are you sure. I can always tell Shannon what you were up. It wouldn't be problem."

"No, no, no. I want my party."

Tony walked the rest of the way to the kitchen with the little girl on his shoulder fireman style. When he got there he was nearly blinded by all the pink. Kelly squealed in his ear making him deaf for a few seconds and he nearly dropped her. The tablecloth had a picture of Strawberry Shortcake on it.

"When's my party?"

"Later Kel," answered Jethro.

Later turned out to be eleven. The backyard was swarming with the little girls that lived on the base. Tony watched the games with fascination. He didn't know how to play any of them but they looked fun. Well, not all of them did. He wasn't too fond of the dress-up relay race. Kelly and a girl named Maddie were the winners of that one. He immediately recognized as Kelly's best friend. They played every team game together.

Gwen and Kathryn arrived after a lunch that consisted of chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese. They each had a present wrapped in shimmery pink paper. Kelly was tempted to open the gifts right away but one look from her daddy convinced her otherwise. Not all of the guests had arrived yet.

Jethro was becoming impatient when the last of the guests finally showed up. Jackson Gibbs arrived two hours later than he promised he would. It was a four hour drive but that wasn't an excuse. The older man gave Tony a look that left Jethro feeling uneasy.

Tony, Shannon, and Jethro noticed how Kelly stiffened when Jackson embraced her. Tony remembered how Kelly welcomed her grandfather's hug back on the Fourth of July and thought that it was odd that she rejected him now.

"Alright girls, gather around. It's time for presents. Jethro, Tony, grab them from inside and brings them out here." There was no room for argument.

All of the gifts were what you would expect little girls to give each other. Dress-up clothes, games that can be played with the family, Skip-it. Kathryn got her Cinderella. Shannon's eyes even lit up when she saw that. She had it when she was a little girl. Gwen got her a large stack of books.

Shannon and Jethro given her all types of toys. Kelly's favorite was the Strawberry Shortcake doll. The only girls wanted one as well. There was also a dollhouse. Jethro had built it himself without using power tools. He even made most of the furniture. Kelly squealed again when she saw it. Tony had no idea where he built it since he been in every room of the house... or so he believed.

Then it was Tony's turn. He was unsure about giving Kelly his gift but Shannon assured him that she would love it. Tony was surprised that Kelly opened the package with delicate hands. She practically ripped the wrapping to shreds on the other presents. It may have been because the box was much smaller than the gifts. She opened the velvet box and took out what was inside.

"Pretty!" chimed all the girls in near perfect unison.

It was a locket in the shape of a strawberry. It was unique because most of the other lockets were hearts or ovals. On the back of the locket Tony had her name engraved.

She launched herself into Tony's arms without dropping her new necklace.

"Put it on me, Tony!" she was nearly squealing again. "Please."

He did as he was told but had a little trouble with the tiny clasp. It was long but that only meant that she would grow into it. Kelly opened it when he was done nut was disappointed that there weren't any pictures in it.

"We can fill it later. That way you can keep all the people you care for the most near you all the time. Well, at least that's what the lady at the store said." He didn't want to sound sappy... especially with Kathryn just a few feet away.

* * *

Jackson Gibbs was not a happy man. His own granddaughter was constantly glaring at him. He loved that child but didn't want anything to do with him. She barely acknowledged his gift for her, a pretty princess dress.

He knew that it was that boy that made it so that she didn't trust him. He had to talk to the boy.

"So, you're still here," Jackson said gruffly.

"Yes, sir."

"Why? Don't you have your own family?"

"No." Jackson couldn't understand that. Everyone has family. Jethro and Kelly were his. "I haven't had a family in a really long time. No one cared a wit about me until I met Jethro and Shannon. My mother is dead and my father is in jail. I won't lose these people. Not because you are jealous of a teenager. I don't do emotions very well. I was taught that they made you weak. But Shannon showed me how to care for others. I won't let you ruin this for me. I need them."

"If you hurt my family I will hunt you down."

"I think you are the only one that's hurting this family. I don't know what you did in the past and I don't care but by rejecting me you are rejecting a part of them. The last thing I want to do is hurt them after all they have done for me. I'm not going anywhere unless they want me to go."

"Tony, hurry up! We're going to start the movie without you." Kelly popped her head out the back door.

"I'm coming Squirt."

* * *

Kelly's bedtime was a always a routine. Mommy would read her a story while Daddy would tuck her snugly under her covers. But tonight she wanted something different. She wanted Tony to tuck her in. It didn't matter to her that he never done it before. She was the expert at being tucked into bed after all. She could give him step-by-step instructions. If only if she could get him to agree. The pout still didn't work on him. So she had resort to down right cuteness and blackmail.

"But it's my birthday! Tony, please."

He looked to Shannon for help but all she did was shake her head and point to Kelly's bedroom. He then turned to Jethro.

"Nope. She wants you."

So he once again did as he was told. He pulled the covers over her, kissed her forehead like he was asked, and read her a story. What came next wasn't part of the routine that he was aware he was going to be part of.

"I love you, Tony."

He stood in momentary shock before he answered. "Love you too, Squirt." It didn't feel weird or dishonest at all. He knew he actually meant it.

Saturday August 13, 1988

Jethro was once again alone with his father in his kitchen. He had no idea of what his dad could have been thinking about. Then again, he was one of two people he couldn't read. Tony was the other person.

"I don't know how you did it."

"Did what?" Jethro asked cautiously.

"I don't know how you got that boy to trust you. He's a foster child... an abandoned one at that."

"Tony is my son. He has no reason not to trust me. I showed him that I would be there for him."

"You're my son and yet you don't trust me."

"You never gave me a reason to trust you... not since mom died," Jethro seethed.

"No, that isn't it. Tell me the truth, Leroy," demanded Jackson.

"It is the truth."

"Then, if you really believe that's the truth, that boy has you more hoodwinked than I originally thought. He's manipulating you."

"That boy has a name and it's Tony!" He rubbed face. "I'm tired, Jack. Do what you want but I'm going to bed. Just stay away from my son."

* * *

Jackson was gone by the time everyone woke that morning. Tony was even quieter than usual and that was a cause for worry. Shannon knew that something was wrong because they were making a lot of progress. Jethro gave her a look that said that he would take care of everything. Tony seemed to respond better to him when he gets into one of his moods.

After breakfast Jethro practically had to drag Tony to the basement. He wasn't sure why he brought him there other than the fact that the room had a way of relaxing him. It never occurred to him that Tony had never been in the basement.

"You have a boat in your basement. Why?"

"We need the garage for the cars." It didn't really answer his question but he didn't expect Jethro to answer him.

"How are you getting her out?"

Jethro only shrugged his shoulders. "Tony, I didn't bring you down here to talk about my boat."

"I know." He kept his eyes down.

"What did Jack say to you?"

"Nothing." He wanted the crack in the floor to open up and swallow him whole.

"Tony..." There was a warning in his voice.

"It doesn't matter what he said. Telling you won't make it any less true."

That worried Jethro. "What did he say?" He didn't didn't like that he had to ask twice but there was no way Tony was going to answer him unless he did.

He hesitated for a moment. "He told me that I was going to hurt you guys. It's true. I may not mean to do it but I will hurt you. I do that a lot."

There was a sharp slap to the back of his head. "No you won't."

Tuesday August 16, 1988

Back to school shopping wasn't something that Tony had to deal with before. His nanny would but his school supplies and uniforms that he needed. When he went to RIMA they provided him everything that he needed as long as the tuition was paid. It always was so he didn't have anything to worry about.

He never been to a school where he could wear whatever he wanted. It did leave him short of any type of casual clothing. He never went home so he packed everything that he could possibly need for any type of weather. He would buy replacements when he out grew something. Sadly he had more winter clothes that were appropriate for hiding in Washington than he had summer clothes. At least that meant he had a really nice coat.

His lack of clothing meant shopping.

It wouldn't have been so bad if they hadn't brought Kathryn with them. Actually with Kathryn the experience was downright horrible. The only plus side to the trip to the mall was the fact Jethro was being forced to come as well.

Clothes were literally thrown at him. After an hour only half the clothes Shannon picked out were bought. The same thing happened at the next two stores as well. By the fourth store Tony and Jethro were begging to leave. When Shannon saw how tired Tony looked she agreed it was time to go.

But before they could go home they needed to get their supplies. They split up because the stuff Kelly needed was at the opposite end to the store as the stuff Kathryn and Tony needed.

"So," began Kathryn "how many classes are you taking?"

"Six."

"Are you planning on having any free time?" She thought Tony was insane for even thinking about taking that many classes.

"I'll have plenty of free time... I thought I already told you."

"I have no idea what you are talking about." She honestly looked confused.

"RIMA had me in college level classes since I was thirteen. I didn't exactly know about it until GW sent me a letter that said I already have college credit."

"So you're what, a second semester freshman?"

"Sophomore. I'm a second semester sophomore."

"Wow! You're a geek dressed in a jock's clothing," snickered Kathryn.

"I'm not a geek, Kitten. There is nothing wrong with being smart!"

"I know that Tony. I was just teasing."

Thursday August 25, 1988

It was last day before Tony had to go to Freshman Orientation even though he wasn't a freshman the letter he got recommended that he went since he was a first year college student. But his mind was far away from college as possible. He yelled over his shoulder that he was going to the pack and got out of there before he was told to take Kelly with him. He wanted to shoot hoops and that wasn't going to happen if he had a little girl to babysit.

While he was doing some drills he realized how much he missed playing on a team. He knew he wasn't going to play college sports. His size didn't matter at RIMA. He had more talent for sports than his entire team for both sports he played. He wasn't just bragging, he really was that good. But there was bound to be someone bigger, taller, who was just as good as her was. Plus, no coach would want someone on their team that would be gone in two and half years.

He was working on his free throws when five boys showed up with a ball.

"Hey, you any good?" asked the tallest boy.

"I can play."

He was paired up with two other boys. They were against the tall boy and a pair of twins. Tony had to admit the other three were better than the two on his team but he knew that wasn't going to be a problem.

One twin passed to the tall boy but Tony intercepted and made his way to the other end of the court. He went for a layup and felt satisfied when he heard the swoosh of the net. The second twin caught the ball. One of Tony's teammates was blocking him so he threw it to his twin who was completely open. He ran toward his next faked a three pointer and passed it to the tall boy. The tall boy sprinted toward the net and jumped. Out of nowhere Tony knocked the ball out of the air to one of his teammates. He knew he landed wrong as a sharp pain went shooting up his ankle. The others stopped when they saw Tony crumble to the ground.

"Hey, are you alright?" asked one of the twins.

"I'm fine. Even as he said it he knew that it wasn't true.

The tall boy glared at Tony. "Prove it. Try to walk."

Tony stood up with some help from one of the twins but fell back down when he put weight on his ankle.

"OK, so I'm not as fine as I thought I was. Help me to my car?"

The twins helped him to his feet again.

"So, this might be a weird question but who are you guys?"

"I'm Alex. Those two," he pointed to the twins on either side of Tony, "are my younger brothers. That's Chris and Danny."

The five boys went into near shock when they saw Tony's car. Alex asked for his keys. Tony wanted to protest but he knew that he wouldn't be able to drive until he got his ankle wrapped. He hopped into the passenger seat. The other boys were disappointed that they couldn't ride with them but had to follow in Alex's car.

The two boys didn't say much. Small talk and instructions on which way to turn. But they knew that they could be friends if they wanted.

Shannon was going to be unbearable when she found out that Tony managed to hurt himself again. He wasn't used to her mother hen tendencies yet. He wasn't looking forward to it.

But it was Kelly that saw him first. He could never control what comes out her mouth.

"Mommy! Tony's back and I think he's hurt."

"I'm fine, Shannon," he called out before he hobbled his way to the kitchen. It was nearly lunch time.

They heard her sigh when she saw Tony. "Now, what am I going to do with you?"

Monday August 29, 1988

Tony hitched his backpack higher as he limped into his first class. He really didn't know what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. Right now he planned on majoring in Criminal Justice. He could always go back to college if he wanted to major in something else. It just seemed like it could be useful even if he didn't go into law enforcement.

It was obvious that he was a lot younger than the rest of his classmates. The people sitting closest were giving him strange looks. Even his professor spared him a glance that said what are you doing in my class.

They went over the syllabus and classroom rules. That last one nearly made Tony laugh because all of the students other than him were over twenty. They should know how to behave by now especially if they were law students.

The class was assigned to read the first chapter of the book and summarize it. They were also told not to expect every lesson to be as easy. Tony had already read the chapter thinking that they would go over it during class and actually learn something.

He was slow gathering his belongings at the end of the class. He stifled a groan when he saw half a dozen pairs of eyes snapped in his direction. He was about to pass when one of them grabbed his arm. It took all that was within him to stop himself from hitting the guy.... which was a good thing since he was built like a linebacker.

"Five questions and I'll give you five answers." He pulled his arm free from the linebackers grip.

"Why only five?"

"Because I'm on a very busy schedule. You're down to four."

"How did you get into GW?" The question sounded condescending.

"I applied. Three."

"How?" There were too many ways for Tony to answer that one but he went for sarcasm.

"I filled out several pieces of paper and sent them in. Two."

"How old are you?"

"Seventeen." Tony started to leave.

"Where are you going? I still have a question."

"Library and no you don't."

He left with a smile on his face knowing that they were confused by what just happened.

* * *

The library was empty when Tony arrived. He worked better when no one was around to distract him. He wasn't the greatest at typing so it took him awhile to finish his paper.

Though he still had plenty of time to pick up Kathryn from school before his next class. Not that she knew that he was going to pick her up.

* * *

Kathryn sighed when she saw Tony leaning against his Mustang... talking to a cop. The charming smile that Tony wore only told her that there wasn't anything wrong. Well, she hoped that was what it meant. Tony was an enigma.

"Hey, Kitten. How was school?" He was still smiling. She wanted to punch him... or at least poke him as hard as she legally could without it being considered assault.

"It was fine," she answered tersely. "We have go Tony. You have a class in less than forty-five minutes. It would look bad if you were late."

At first things were quiet between them. Tony was still smiling and Kathryn was seething. Then she boiled over.

"What were you thinking?" she all but yelled.

"I don't know what you're talking about." His smile became wider.

"You came to my school!"

"To do something nice for you. Is that a crime?"

"The cop?" That was a little suspicious in her mind.

"He saw my books and stopped for a chat. I think he was bored."

"But he was a cop...." She really didn't have an argument.

"Yeah, he was a cop. Big deal. He was nice. He had to read some of the same books I'm reading for school so we talked about them and gave me some insight in the professors."

"Geek," Kathryn teased.

"Call me that again and I won't be nice to you anymore."

Her eyes went wide when she understood his meaning. "No rides?" He didn't say anything. "That's cruel and unusual punishment!"

"Maybe, but you would deserve it."

A/N I know nothing about basketball. Please don't comment if the scene is horrible... I really did try. It's just really hard to learn sports from Wikipedia. Yes, I did try that.


	4. September 1988

CBS and Paramount Pictures own NCIS.

You're to Blame

**You are to blame for anything that is good in my heart. You are to blame for this change that has taken me by storm. - Mercy Me**

Chapter Four – September 1988

Friday September 2, 1988

The day started out normal for Tony. Breakfast, class, library, pick up Kathryn, class. What was different was the fact that they were going out to dinner for Jethro's birthday...a birthday that no one thought to tell Tony about.

It surprised him how much it hurt that he wasn't told. They were family and family told each other when their birthday was. At least it seemed as if he should have been told.

Dinner at the restaurant was very different from what he remembered of the few times he was allowed to go with his parents. His mother would always order for him, usually a type of fish. He didn't even like fish, not that he was going to protest what he was given. He should be thankful that he was going with them in the first place. But with Jethro and Shannon he was allowed to choose what he wanted. He stayed away from the fish (he still didn't care for the taste of it) and ordered some kind of chicken that sounded good.... after making sure that it was OK.

No one gave Jethro any gifts. It felt wrong that he didn't get anything for him but he got the feeling that Jethro didn't care that he didn't get anything. He was perfectly happy just to spend the evening out with his family.

* * *

It was later when Shannon found Tony studying in the living room. The sound of jazz filled the air. He claimed that the music helped him relax and she wasn't about to take that away from him. She watched him take a few notes. He really was in his element. Though even with the music, he didn't seem to be able to relax. She could tell because his shoulders were tense.

"You know Tony, at the rate you're going you'll have your degree in a year."

Tony gave her a confused look. "I am?"

"Did you even read the requirements to get a degree? You need eleven classes and you're already taking six."

"I like a challenge."

"You sure you're not over working yourself? I would understand if you want to drop a few classes."

"I'm fine, Shannon." His tone made it clear that he was anything but fine.

"Then, what's bothering you? You can tell me anything."

"Like how you told me that it was Jethro's birthday." His tone was accusatory.

"Oh, Sweetie. I am so sorry. You are right I should have told you. It's just that Jethro doesn't like celebrating his birthday. The only reason I know when it is is because I married the man. I don't even know why he doesn't like to celebrate. It's the one thing that he keeps from me."

"So the dinner..."

"It's my way of celebrating without actually having to acknowledge that it's Jethro's birthday."

Tony thought about what she said and decided that she was telling the truth. "Alright."

Monday September 5, 1988 (Labor Day)

Jethro knew the weather was going to be perfect for the barbeque that he was planning for that afternoon when he went to step out of the house for his morning run. He hesitated for a moment before going back inside to get Tony. Other than that disastrous basketball game, Tony hadn't been getting the exercise an athlete like him needed to stay in shape.

He wasn't surprised to find Tony awake. RIMA must have taught him how to wake early. Even after four months after graduating he still hadn't broken the habit.

"Get dressed. We're going for a run." It was an order and Tony learned quickly not to disobey direct orders. That usually led to punishment. He instantly brightened when he realized what Jethro meant by going on a run. One-on-one time, something that he never had with his father. Five minutes after Jethro left his room he came out with a grin on his face.

* * *

After an eight-mile run, Tony was ready to collapse. He now understood why Jethro drank so much coffee; he wouldn't be able to stay awake otherwise. He almost went for the coffee as well but had orange juice instead when he remembered rule 23: never mess with a Marine's coffee. Though later when Shannon caught him nearly sleeping in his breakfast, she practically forced a cup of the strong brew down his throat.

Friday September 9, 1988

Word about who he was and how old he was spread around Tony like a wildfire. Fortunately, no one found out that he was 'the lost DiNozzo heir' that the news stations calling him these days. That didn't make things less uncomfortable for him. His classmates treated him like a pariah. It only gave him one more reason to graduate early.

The library was fast becoming the last place he wanted to go each day. He heard the other students whispering about him as he passed them or when he was writing up an assignment. He couldn't concentrate.

That was when he decided that he needed a computer. His grades would suffer if he couldn't focus on his homework. Surely Jethro would see it his way. Plus, he would be at home more. Shannon would be more than thrilled. All he had to do was convince Jethro the technophobe that a computer was a necessity.

Three hours and a lot of bargaining later, Tony was sitting at his new computer doing his homework.

Monday September 12, 1988

Jethro was being sent on another training mission. This one was going to last two weeks. It wasn't the longest he been away from home but it would be the first time that he would be away from Tony for more than twenty-four hours. Jethro made it very clear that he was coming back. The boy had suffered being abandoned far too many times and he didn't want Tony to think that he was going to abandon him as well. But a few last words never hurt anyone.

"Take care of my girls for me until I get back, Tony."

"I will." It seemed as though Tony left something hanging at the end of his promise.

Shannon took Jethro by the hand as she steered his attention to her. "Look after yourself." She kissed him softly.

"I always do." He kissed her one last time and gave one last look to Kelly, who was crying, before he left.

It wasn't long before Tony had Kelly marking the day that Jethro was supposed to come back on the calendar. He was doing it for Kelly's benefit as well as his own. He needed the reassurance that he would be back when he said that he would.

Thursday September 15, 1988

Shannon had begun to notice that Tony would refer her and Jethro as 'mom' and 'dad' when talking to Kelly. At first she thought that he did for Kelly, to help her understand that he was part of the family now. Yet that didn't make sense. She had always considered him to be family... even before they explained to her what adoption was.

Then she figured out why he was doing it.

He wanted to call them 'mom' and 'dad'. He just wasn't confident enough to say it to them instead of Kelly. Shannon had to find a way to give him permission to call her 'mom' whenever he want without him knowing that she knew that he was insecure. She had to talk to him.

"You know, I grew up without my mother. She died when I was only three. Daddy told me that it was a brain tumor; it was inoperable. I didn't really understand until I was older.

"He remarried when I was seven. I called her 'mom'. Not because my dad wanted me to but because I loved her as though she were my real mother. I think her happiest day was the day that I first called her that. I never forgot that she wasn't my birth mother, and she knew that."

The room was silent for a few moments. "I never called my mother 'mom'. She was 'mother'. Anything else would have been considered to be disrespectful. She didn't want to be a mom. Did you know that she was only 19 when I was born? My parents had only been married eighteen months before I came along... it was part my father's life plan. Marry the right type of girl. Have a perfect child. Run a successful business. All of that came true expect for the perfect child part. I was a disappointment in everything that I did.

"My mother was hardly around so I don't remember that much about her. The stuff I do remember isn't all that pleasant. She drank my sea monkeys once"

"Maybe you should let yourself have new memories that would make you forget the bad ones."

Now, all she had to do was wait for Tony to be comfortable to call her mom. He knew that she would be OK with the title.

Saturday September 17, 1988

Being stuck at home with two little girls wasn't what Tony had planned for his weekend. Alex had invited him to the homecoming game at his school But Gwen got a stomach virus and Shannon ran off to take care of her friend, thus leaving him in his current predicament.

The girls were hungry and Maddie was a very picky eater. Everything that he picked out was immediately rejected. Then he spotted Shannon's chicken noodle soup that she made for Gwen. No one could resist Shannon's chicken noodle soup.... not even stubborn a five-year-old.

Monday September 26, 1988

Tony was cleaning up when he got the phone call.

"_Is there a Shannon Gibbs there?"_ asked the woman on the other end of the phone.

"No, she isn't."

"_It's really important that I talk to Mrs. Gibbs. She needs to get down to Bethesda as soon as __possible."_

"I'm his son. I can get a message for her here. But I'm coming." He hung up the phone. "Kelly, get your shoes on. Dad is in the hospital." He heard her running but he allowed it this once. He wrote a note for Shannon after helping Kelly into her sweater. Then he took off toward Bethesda.

He pulled into the visitors' parking lot fifteen minutes later. If you didn't know better you would have thought that Jethro had taught him how to drive.

The nurse at the front desk was busy with a file when Tony approached with Kelly on his hip. Even after a minute she didn't look up. He began to tap his fingers in a sure way to annoy to rude nurse. She still didn't look up. Though Tony did see her cringing.

"I'll be with you in a moment," she grounded out tersely.

"Can you just tell me where I can find Gunnery Sergeant Gibbs?" It wasn't a question it was a demand. Jethro would have been proud.

"Are you family?" she asked still not looking up.

"Yes."

She finally looked up when she gave him the room number. "He had a nasty concussion so he probably isn't awake." However she was ignored as the two of them ran off in the direction she pointed in. She turned back to her file not caring that she had just been dismissed by a couple of kids.

Kelly had eased herself out of Tony's arms when he stood at the foot of Jethro's bed and crawled up to his chest so she could place her head on it. If it weren't for the fact that they were in a hospital, Tony would have thought that it was cute.

Tony was reading an outdated car magazine a nurse had brought him, after charming her with one of his smiles, when Shannon arrived.

"What happened?

"I don't know. They won't tell me anything."

Just then a doctor entered the room. Tony hadn't seen him once since he to to the hospital. "I'm Dr. Stevens. You must be the wife."

"Shannon."

"Well, Shannon, the Gunny here was hit with the butt of a rifle by one of his own men. I don't know the whole story but I think it was an accident."

Tony rolled his eyes. "Of course it was an accident. If it wasn't that, then it would mean that someone intentionally tried to kill him."

"No one is trying to kill me."

"I know that. I was just telling the doc how idiotic he sounded." He paused for a moment. "Hey, you're awake!"

"Ya think."

"So, what happened?" asked Shannon.

"Don't remember." He was ready to fall back to sleep. "Go home."

"Not until tomorrow," said the doctor right before he slipped back to sleep.

The doctor told Shannon about Jethro's condition, using more medical jargon than what was necessary. Tony suspected that he was trying to prove that he wasn't an idiot.

* * *

Tony was sent home with Kelly after Jethro woke the second time. Shannon wasn't coming home until visiting hours were over. He threw in a movie for Kelly so that he could get lost in his thoughts while he made dinner.

Now that he was alone he couldn't help but think that someone might be trying to kill Jethro. He could think of one person that had means and motive.

His father.

Tony kept telling himself that he was crazy. He father was a bastard but he would never have someone killed.... even if that meant hurting Tony.

Tuesday September 27, 1988

As it turned out it was a new recruit that hit Jethro. It a fit of panic while under fire, the young recruit swung his rifle haphazardly effectively knocking Jethro unconscious. It was a accident.

The new recruit's death was not.

Two NIS agents showed up while Shannon was cleaning up the breakfast dishes. She wasn't expecting anyone so the knock on the door came as a surprise. The agents introduced themselves as Harry Tanner and Melissa Phelps.

"We're here to see Anthony Gibbs," said Phelps.

"That's me."

"Where were you between 10 and midnight last night?"

"I was here. I have a few tests that I had to study for." It was clear that the agents didn't believe him.

"We need you to come with us," said Tanner aggressively. "You need to answer a few questions."

Two hours later Tony was still in the interrogation room with Jethro and Shannon on either side of him. They all knew that Jethro should have been at home recuperating. But she didn't want him to feel abandoned so they both had to be there for him at Navy Yard.

"There was a witness that said that they saw you outside Lance Corporal Aaron Miles' apartment last night," said Phelps as she entered the room.

"Well, that's interesting since I didn't know that I could be in two places at once." Jethro put a calming hand on his shoulder. "I don't even know Lance Corporal Miles."

"Oh really. I think you do know each other. And when you found out that he nearly killed your dad you decided to kill him." She slapped down a photo of Miles with a gut shot through his left temple down onto the table.

Something felt off and Tony wanted to figure out what it was. He turned to Jethro. "Was he left handed?"

He tried to remember. There were nine other men on his team. Three of them were new. One of them was left-handed. "Yes."

"It was suicide." He said the words with no emotion.

"Our ME has already determined that it was a homicide," countered Phelps. "The suicide was faked."

"No, the fake suicide was fake. This may get a little complicated so you really should take notes." Tony took a deep breath. "OK, let's just say that the bump to my dad's head wasn't an accident. What if one of the people that hates my guts found out who adopted me. What if that person watched the dark dealings of Lance Corporal Miles and approached him and blackmailed him. Maybe Miles was into drugs. I hear cocaine is in style right now. So anyways, let's just say that Miles asks to be placed on the Gunny's team. There's nothing all that sinister about that except the blackmailer and Miles strike up a deal, he has to kill the Gunny and he would keep the cocaine habit a secret. But things go wrong and the Gunny survives. Here's the real kicker, under that drug-induced haze Miles begins to feel guilty for what he's done... the Gunny has a family you know. And he totally believes in semper fi so that has to count for something in his mind. So he kills himself. However, the blackmailer was still watching Miles; maybe the blackmailer came by and found Miles dead. Then you guys get involved and the finger gets pointed at me because hey he still hates my guts... who else would be the better fall guy. So he makes the real suicide look like a fake suicide by making it look like a real homicide when in reality it's a fake homicide. Get it?" Tony finally took another breath when Tanner walked in.

"Phelps, the tox screen came in. There was a large amount of heroin in Miles system. He would have died even if he weren't shot. The kid is free to go. Doc was wrong. It was a suicide."

* * *

Ten minutes later they were on their way home. Shannon's mind was racing. She needed answers but she wasn't sure if Tony was willing to provide them.

"How did you know all of that?"

"I didn't I was just putting the facts together as I saw them. The rest was speculation. Mostly, I was just rambling. Plus, I was wrong." Shannon risked a look at him. "It wasn't cocaine."

"I doubt that was the part of your theory they were focusing on. The rest of it... you are probably right."

"I guessed."

Shannon only smiled. The kid would make an amazing investigator one day if he wanted.

Thursday September 29, 1988

They hadn't heard from Phelps since Tony had been accused of murder. Shannon wasn't sure whether or not that was a good thing. On one hand it meant no one was being accused of killing someone that killed themselves but on the other hand it meant that they were most likely still in danger.

That caused NIS to place the whole family under protection detail. Tony protested the loudest. His classmates couldn't stop talking about the armed bodyguard that was following him around. The guy was huge and attracted a lot of unwanted attention.

He had to stop picking up Kathryn after school. It was too dangerous. The agent didn't want to have to try to protect an entire school if something should happen.

He also had to stop his daily morning runs. Not because his guard said he couldn't but because he didn't want to be tackled every time a car backfired. It was pretty painful when you weren't wearing any pads or a helmet.

Shannon ended up buying a punching bag to help diffuse Tony's pent up energy and Jethro's aggression toward the agents. So far it had worked and Jethro was teaching Tony how to box properly... meaning like a Marine and not what he was taught at school. It took place of their morning runs.

Kelly had a guard for when she went to kindergarten. But unlike Tony's bodyguard, Kelly's wasn't visibly armed. The school wouldn't allow it. They did allow her to talk to the children to make them more comfortable with her presence. The students didn't need to know that she was there for their protection.

Jethro's frustration was getting to everyone. Shannon understood it was hard for him that he couldn't protect his family the way he wanted. He couldn't hunt down whoever was after them. But it didn't seem as though NIS was doing anything to capture the person. He was a man of action and all this inactivity was putting him on edge.

* * *

Tony had always hated the rain. It was depressing. Everything around him was dull and lifeless. It had been gray and rainy all day. Tony didn't like it. It always seemed to put him on edge and made him jumpy.

Shannon watched Tony out of the corner of her eye. For the past hour he had been working on flashcards and every five minutes he would start to fall asleep. She knew that he was beyond exhaustion. She had to take pity on him.

"Tony, go lie down. You'll make on those cards if you don't get any rest. I can't keep forcing you to drink that vile stuff Jethro claims is coffee every time you get tired."

"Are you telling me I need a nap?"

"Yes. Now scram. I'll call you when dinner is ready."

* * *

One reason Tony hated the rain was because he would always have nightmares. It was always the same ones. This time it was the one where he found his mother's body in a bathtub. She drowned when she fell asleep in a drunken stupor.

It was raining that day as well.

He had never told anyone why he hated the rain. No one ever asked. No one ever cared enough to ask. No one noticed how sleep deprived he got when it would rain days on end.

No one until Shannon.

"Tony, Sweetie are you ok?"

He had been trained from an early age not to let anyone know that he was less than fine. If he were less than fine that meant that he was weak and DiNozzos weren't weak. DiNozzos didn't faint. DiNozzos didn't cry. DiNozzos weren't weak.

But he wasn't a DiNozzo any more.

"No, I'm not. I hate the rain." Then he told her everything. He told her about the first meeting with the child psychologist. He told her about the day that his father married his first wife after his mother's death. He told her about being sent to Rhode Island.

And all Shannon did was listen.

"You needed to talk about it, Tony. Having all those negative memories bottled up inside isn't healthy. However, you slept through dinner and now you need to eat."

"Yes Mom."

She smiled. "See, good things can come from the rain."

Friday September 30, 1988

It was just past midnight when Tony crept passed that nights NIS agent. He couldn't sleep and decided to investigate the basement. He needed to figure out the mystery behind the boat. He had far too many questions. Why was it there? He was Jethro planning to get it out. Did Jethro want help building it? How was he going to get out of the basement? What was the boat's name? And most importantly, how was his dad planning to get that damn boat out of the basement?

But his plans for investigation were put on hold for the night because his dad was already there.

"Tony? What are you doing down here?" He had never seen Tony awake this late before. The boy had class in the morning.

"The rain was keeping me awake. You?"

"Kelly's afraid of thunder and is sleeping in my room. She literally kicked me out." He chuckled a little.

Tony sat on the bottom step watching as Jethro moved his tool along the wood. It really was a graceful process. He couldn't help but become memorized by the movements.

"What are you going to name her?"

Jethro thought about it for a moment. When he first started on the boat he didn't even think about a name for it. "Stillwater." He had no idea why he said that. He didn't even try to give Tony an explanation but Tony wasn't expecting one. He understood that some things were private.

"That's a good name." He let out a yawn. Within a few minutes he was fast asleep.

* * *

Both Tony and Jethro woke late the next morning. Tony was amazed that he slept through the night in spite of the uncomfortable surface he was using as a bed. Fortunately, someone had gotten him a badly needed pillow. He suspected that it was Shannon because the pillow smelled of soap rather than sawdust.

He didn't have a nightmare. That never happened before. He thought that talking to Shannon would have made the nightmares worse but he couldn't even remember what he dreamed about. Then he remembered her words from the night before.... maybe the rain could bring good things.

A/N I hope that making Tony hating the rain wasn't too OOC for him. But looking back at a few episodes where really bad things happened, it was raining (Hiatus) or began soon after it happened (Twilight and Kill Ari 1&2). It is entirely possible that Tony hates rain because I swear he was glaring at the rain during Hiatus.


	5. October 1988

CBS and Paramount Pictures own NCIS.

You're to Blame

**You are to blame for anything that is good in my heart. You are to blame for this change that has taken me by storm. - Mercy Me**

Chapter Five – October 1988

Saturday October 1, 1988

Agent Phelps hated that she didn't have any leads. She was the only female lead agent in Washington. Many of her male counterparts were just waiting for her to fail. The Gibbs case was high profile case and if she screwed it up she was likely would be fired. She wasn't going to let that happen any time soon. She would rather be demoted back to Franks team with his twenty hour days.

The Gibbs boy wasn't that much help. For a seventeen-year-old college kid, he sure had a lot of people who wanted him dead or in jail for a very long time. It seemed as though half of Long Island and a large percentage of the population of Rhode Island had a grudge against the kid. Not to mention his entire biological family believed he that he betrayed his father when he took him to court. Then add three angry ex-wives.... well, Phelps was more than happy that she wasn't Tony.

Most of those people Tony listed had no idea where he was. The majority didn't even care. So this caused Phelps to run into one dead end right after another. And she wasn't even halfway through the list.

She had to talk to the kid and if she a hated anything more than the constant dead ends it was talking to Anthony Gibbs.

* * *

Tony and Jethro were finishing up their daily workout when Phelps arrived. She quickly dismissed the current guard

"Is there any way that you can shorten the number of suspects? Most of the people on your list don't know anything. It could really help me and Tanner."

"Well, I would have started with my father's staff, both the one at the office and the one at home. Then move onto the ex-wives. I don't think they know anything but it wouldn't hurt to look. The best bet would be my father's current wife."

"Current wife?"

"I don't know her name. I never even met her."

"Alright, I'll look into it."

Monday October 3, 1988

It took two days to find Lisa DiNozzo. She was found at a hotel not too far from the Marine base. She threw an expensive show at Tanner, hitting him square in the face. It left a rather nasty scratch on his cheek. Phelps arrested her for aggravated assault. It was all that they had on her... though the charge was a little steep for what really happened.

Phelps couldn't make Lisa talk. Tanner was still at the hospital because of the sedative that he was given so that he could be stitched up. He could face down the barrel of a gun any day of the week but was still squeamish around needles.

It wasn't until Tony decided to stop by unexpectedly that she had a way to make Lisa talk. She gave Tony a tape recorder and a few interrogation tips before leading him to where they were keeping Lisa.

"Are you sure this is legal?"

The short pause didn't calm Tony's nerves at all. "Let me and the director worry about that." Honestly, she wasn't sure if what they were doing was legal. At the moment Phelps didn't really care.

She wasn't that surprised to find the observation room was nearly at full capacity when she entered. She sorely wished that she could have kicked someone out but she couldn't force the director of NIS, the head of the legal department, and Mike Franks out of the room because she was uncomfortable around them if she wanted to keep her job.

Tony was just sitting down when Phelps approached the two-way mirror. She nodded the men a greeting.

"It's nice to finally meet you!" Tony shook his would be stepmother's hand. He had a huge smile on his face. Only those that knew him knew that it was fake. "I never got a chance to get to know one of my father's wives before he dumps them."

The director chuckled as Phelps stared on in horror. She couldn't believe that Tony had just insulted the woman. Lisa was completely clueless to the barb.

"So, I guess that this is a rare privilege. Though for the record, I'm the one whose doing the dumping this time." She had no idea much she was 'on the record'. "It's bad for my family's reputation for me to be married to a man that abandoned his own child and went to prison for it. You understand, right?"

"Sure, you don't need to explain yourself."

The observers watched as the duo made rather boring smalltalk. Tony would periodically subtly insult Lisa. However, he knew that he was running out of time.

"So, why did you do it?" asked Tony. Phelps straightened her back as she listened.

"I was wondering when you going to ask me that. I guess I can give you an answer. You humiliated me, Tony. So when the opportunity to get get revenge presented itself I took it. Aaron told me what happened with his 'Gunny'. He told me how he accidentally nearly killed him. He was so high I was able to convince him that he did it on purpose. I didn't know that he was going to kill himself over it. That isn't my fault."

"But you did tamper with evidence and told NIS that I was the one that killed Aaron Miles. Clever. Too bad that it didn't work. Someone out there must have figured out your rather weak plot."

"Yeah, too bad." Lisa gave him a smile that shook him to the core. "And too bad no one is going to believe you when you tell them what I told you. "You're a smart, good looking kid but you are just a kid."

"And that's where you are wrong. Everyone is going to believe me when they hear your voice on the tape. I hope you have a good lawyer. You're going to need one."

Phelps smiled as Tony left interrogation, leaving a gobsmacked Lisa behind. She never seen anything like it. It had been one of the quickest confessions she had ever seen.

"Is there any chance we can hire that kid?" asked Franks.

"Not for at another year. He's only seventeen," reminded Phelps.

"Damn."

Wednesday October 5, 1988

It wasn't often that Tony was asked to stay behind after class. Actually, he had never been asked to stay... well not since he started at RIMA. Naturally he was little more fidgety for the rest of the class. It drove those sitting near him to the point that they couldn't concentrate.

He didn't have to worry. The professor just wanted to know if Tony had chosen a thesis topic yet. He hadn't. There were too many topics to chose from that he was interested in that impossible for him to pick one topic. The professor gave him until the end of the month to decide.

Sunday October 9, 1988

The only thing Kelly talked about was Halloween. She was obsessed. It didn't help that she learned about all of the Halloween traditions and a few new Halloween songs during the past week at school. Even Jethro was getting tired of all the facts that she was learning and he loved to hear about her day at school.

Everyday she would have a new idea for what she wanted to be. Yesterday she wanted to be a cowgirl, today it was a witch. Tony was glad for that change because Kelly was saying how much fun it would be if Tony was her horse.

He did not want to be a horse. He didn't want to be anything. He didn't even like Halloween. Even as a child, when he had to walk a quarter mile up each driveway just to get to the house, did he think it was fun. Then, more often than not, he would likely get an apple. If he wanted apples he would have stayed at home. When he told Kelly about this she said that it wasn't like that on the base. She never gotten an apple. Intellectually, he knew that but he couldn't help but to think back to when he was eight... he really didn't want to dwell on that.

Shannon, for once, didn't press the issue. She knew that he would talk when he was ready.

Wednesday October 12, 1988

Kathryn couldn't help but feel guilty. She didn't tell Tony that she had a boyfriend until three weeks after they started going out. Now he wasn't even talking to her.

That hurt.

It wasn't that she was trying to hide that she was dating. She didn't know how to tell Tony about David. She only told him after he asked her what she was doing for Halloween. She was going to the dance with David... Tony wasn't allowed to come since he wasn't a student.

He was still her best friend. She told him that. A boy wasn't going to change that fact.

Friday October 14, 1988

Frustrated was not an emotion Shannon was used to feeling. Whenever Tony had any free time he would spend it sitting at the piano playing the most depressing songs... or 'Piano Man' which was depressing in it's own way. It wasn't that his playing was bad. He was actually quite good. But even Kelly could hear the melancholy in the notes. It was a good way to put the girl to sleep when she was being stubborn.

She knew the problem... somewhat. She also knew the solution.

Tony had to talk, or listen, to Kathryn. However, that was always easier said than done.

* * *

Tony was mad. Actually he was beyond mad. He wasn't sure what kind of parent locks a couple of teenagers in a room but his mom was one of them.

"Just please talk to me, Tony. I am sorry that I didn't tell you about David. I never had a guy as a best friend before and it's new to me. I don't know what topics are considered territory." Tony wanted to interrupt. "Don't tell me that I you anything when we both know that isn't true."

"Fine, you're right about that. But you still could have told me... without all of the gory details."

"No gory details, got it. How about we plan to spend a least one night a week together. We can watch movies, go to all the touristy places that you never go to when you move to DC, maybe help me with my homework."

"You're still having trouble with maths. You know that is my worst subject."

"And yet you are still better at it than I am. So, friends?"

"Are you free on Thursday?"

"I'm sure that I can pencil you into my busy schedule."

Monday October 17, 1988

Kelly was going to be a butterfly. The costume was bought and hanging in the little girl's closet next to the costumes that she wore in previous years.

And Tony's costume was hanging in his. A butterfly catcher wasn't too embarrassing. The clothes weren't too different from what you find in a safari movie. Instead of a machete he had a butterfly net. Fun....

But with midterms he didn't even notice. The only times he wasn't studying was during his morning run with Jethro (which they resumed now that they didn't have to worry about being tackled) and during meals but that was only because Shannon had forbidden him to bring his books and flashcards to the table. It was family time.

He had six exams that covered everything that was taught during the past seven weeks and he only had three days to do them all.

* * *

"Rule 29: Work smarter, not harder." Shannon announced to new rule that night during dinner.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"In your case, knowing when to pace yourself and have fun. There's a reason we have rule eleven."

"When a job is done walk away." Jethro was curious about where she was going with her current 'teach Tony how to he human' lesson. She was getting good at it.

"You are going to burn yourself out before you are twenty-five if you don't relax. We can help you with your workload but only if you let us. Plus, you keep going over stuff that you already know. Instead, you need to focus on the stuff that is giving you a hard time and need to improve. And since you've been doing nothing but studying there isn't anything that you need to focus on.

"Your classes end early tomorrow. So, instead of spending the day studying until you drop, I'm going to arrange something that will help you relax."

"Mom?"

"Don't worry. You'll like it. Now, go downstairs and work on that boat while I make a few calls."

Tuesday October 18, 1988

Shannon refused to tell anyone what she had planned. She didn't even tell Jethro when he asked, going so far as accusing him that he was only asking so that he could tell Tony. He didn't confirm of deny that.

They were told one thing, dress warmly. It was unseasonably cold. That meant that whatever Shannon had planned was going to be outside. Shannon had also tossed Tony one of Jethro's older combat jackets from when he was a lance corporal. It was slightly to big but it would keep him warm enough.

Tony fell asleep as soon as Shannon reached the highway.

* * *

Tony had no idea how long he had been asleep when Kelly woke. She looked even more excited than usual. Then he saw the sign for Virginia Beach.

"We're going to the beach in October?" While it may be colder in New York and Rhode Island, it still seemed crazy.

"Mommy says that we are going to see the horses!"

"Horses. I haven't seen a horse since my eighth birthday."

"You had pony rides at your birthday party?" asked Jethro.

"Yeah." He shrugged it off as if it wasn't a big deal. "All the kids I grew up with had stuff like that at their parties. The bigger the party the bigger your status was."

"Daddy, can I―"

"No," interrupted Shannon.

"But―"

"No 'but'. You are not getting a horse."

It wasn't long before they reached the stables. There were six horses inside, one white, three black, and two brown. All of them were much bigger than the ones he remembered from his party.

Tony didn't know how this was supposed to help him relax. He could see why someone would want to ride a horse. The creatures were powerful yet graceful. If he learned anything from his father it was that humans were drawn to things that held power.

Shannon and Jethro started them of at a slow pace to keep the less experienced riders a chance to get comfortable. After a while they picked up the speed. No one even noticed the clod that much. Tony could only feel the thrill of freedom and adrenaline as he was being taught how to bring the animal through it's paces.

They slowed down as they headed back to the stables so that the horses could cool down. Shannon rode up next to Tony.

"Did you have fun?" She had a knowing grin on her face.

"Yeah,I did. We have to do that again."

Ten minutes later they were back at the stables. Jethro helped Tony put his horse back in it's stall while Shannon put the ones that belonged to her and Kelly away.

"Dad, can I―"

"No," Shannon interrupted him the same way she interrupted Kelly. Tony had to find out how she did that it was driving him insane not knowing how she always managed to sneak up on his and Jethro. It starting to happen more and more often.

"How did she... never mind, she's a mom, she knows everything." Tony walked away with a slight pout.

"What was he going to ask?"

"He wanted to know if he could buy a horse."

Saturday October 22, 1988

Tony wanted to do nothing but shut his brain off for the next twenty-four hours. His exams were finally over (he would get the results on the first of November). However, he couldn't do that. He had to start his thesis paper. And he still didn't have a topic. He thought about doing something about crime rates but he figured half of his classmates would be doing something like that. He wanted to do something different.

Then an idea hit him... or rather a title: 'The Psychological Ramifications of Long Term and Short Term Undercover Assignments'.

He just had to cash in a favor to get what he needed.

* * *

Agent Phelps, at one time, thought that when Tony Gibbs asked her to repay a debt it would have been unreasonable. She was wrong. Asking for help for his thesis wasn't as bad as she thought it would be. The director would have to be told so he could approve what was given to Tony. Plus, he wasn't asking for anything classified, he only wanted files from very old undercover ops.

The best part to this deal was the fact NIS was no longer in debt to a teenager.

Kathryn buried her head into Tony's shoulder as yet another innocent bystander was killed. She knew Tony was watching as though it was the most entertaining thing he had ever seen. That was just something Kathryn couldn't understand.

"Don't be such a scaredy-cat, Kitten. Nothing is going to you while you're under my protection."

"Protection? This was your idea to begin with, not mine." Her voice was muffled by Tony's shirt.

"It's a movie. Relax and enjoy it."

"You're telling me to relax. Well, that's rich coming from you."

"What is that supposed to mean?" demanded Tony.

"It means you don't know how to have fun like a normal person."

Tony glared at her for a moment before he attacked her sides. She squealed in laughter as he tickled her. The action took her by surprise.

"Tomorrow we are going to a haunted house. You can bring along that boyfriend of yours. Maybe even some of your friends. I'll invite Alex and his brothers. It'll be fun." Those last three words were mocking.

"David can't come. He has to work on Sundays. Coral and Samantha would probably come."

They turned back to the movie just as someone else was being hacked into pieces.

"Ugh, I can't believe that Shannon let you bring this movie into the house. It's disgusting."

"As long as Kelly doesn't see it Mom doesn't care. You're right though, this movie is pretty gross."

Sunday October 23, 1988

Alex got permission to use his dad's van when the group realized that none of them had a vehicle large enough for seven people. They didn't want to take separate cars in case one of them got lost.

The parking lot was deserted when they arrived. If anyone thought that was strange they didn't say anything. Alex did check the newspaper ad to make sure they had the right address. He shrugged his shoulders and walked toward the house.

Tony had a bad feeling this place. He couldn't explain it but he wasn't going to ruin everyone's fun just because he was scared of a house.

"C'mon Gibbs," called Coral. It was obvious that the girl didn't like him that much. He ran to catch up.

The man taking their money was even creepier than the house and the house was very creepy. Kathryn pulled her jacket tighter around herself when she saw that he was starring at her. He was at least in his late forties. Tony must have noticed as well since he stood in front of her, blocking the creepy man's view of her.

When they entered they noticed that none of the doors had knobs on them... including the one they had just went through. They had no choice but to go forward down the hallway. After a few minutes they finally saw a door with a knob.

"You know, if this were a movie Coral will be disappearing in 3...2...1....."

BANG!!! A loud scream followed.

"Wow, I was right!" Everyone turned to where Coral had been standing only moments before.

"Coral!" called out Samantha.

"We have to find her," Alex told Tony.

Tony rolled his eyes but no one saw him. "I know that Alex. We will find her but we won't be able to do that unless we start moving."

Samantha opened the door since she was the one closest to it. It shut again the moment Randy entered. The room was pitch black and started to spin the second the door clicked. It wasn't fast but it was disorienting. When it finally stopped Tony was the first one of get a grip on his bearings and started giving out orders as though it was the most natural thing to do, even though he was the youngest of the group other than the twins.

"Sam, Alex go right. Kitten, your with me. Andy, Randy, stay here. Don't even think about touching or opening that door and do not move away from it. You guys are our starting point."

"Yes, sir!" they chirped together.

The two pairs moved away from the twins. They all thought that it was odd that they room was round.

"I found a doorknob," said Samantha.

"So, did we."

"What are we going―" Alex was cut off when the door the twins were standing next to suddenly opened. They let out a muffled yelp as they were forced from the dark room. The remaining four were tossed to the floor as the room started to spin again.... this time it was much faster. Tony kept his body over Kathryn so he wouldn't lose track of her.

"I wasn't expecting that," gasped Tony. "In movies, the villain doesn't usually strike so soon after the first disappearance."

"This isn't one of your stupid movies, Tony," growled Alex. He wasn't really angry at Tony. He was worried about his brothers and Coral.

"I know that. Just let me think. I don't want to separate. That always ends with the remaining blonde dead. Sorry Sam, but it's true."

"So, we don't separate. Let's just find a door and our friends. I want to get out of here."

"It's not that simple. One group has to find the exit while the other one finds our friends.... who are probably already dead by now."

"Hey, Tony, no one is dead. This is just a really creepy haunted house that took things a little too far. No one is going to die either. We all have school tomorrow and I don't want any angry teachers on my case about why my brothers didn't come."

"I'm sorry. I just have a really bad feeling and it won't go away."

"You probably seen one too many scary movie during the past few weeks. As long as none of us see any notes that says 'Red rum' on it I think we'll be safe. You'll see, this is going to be one huge joke."

"I hope you are right. Now, let's find those doors again. I still think it would be a bad idea to separate but I don't think we have much of a choice. Sam... if I'm right, please be careful."

* * *

Alex and Samantha hadn't even met before that day. They went to two different schools on opposite ends of the city. Alex was Tony's friend and Sam was Kathryn's. They had nothing in common, Alex was a jock while Sam was on student body vice president. But during times of extreme trauma people do tend to become friends amazingly fast.

They walked along the hallway, looking for a door.

"Do you think Tony could have been right? Could Coral and your brothers be dead?"

He put an arm around her. "Tony was wrong. He has an overactive imagination once in awhile."

"But how did he know that Coral was going to be taken?" She was close to tears. Coral was her best friend and had been since they were two.

"It was a joke. He didn't know that she was going to disappear like that." He was trying to convince himself just as much as he was trying to convince Sam.

* * *

The door that Tony opened lead to a staircase. Kathryn didn't want to take to pointing out that there was no way that the missing three from the group could possibly be up there. Tony was convinced that they would find the exit.

Halfway up they saw a door with a knob. They debated for a few minutes before they entered at Kathryn's insistence. Tony wanted to keep going up but she was sure that it was the way out. She was wrong. The other side of the door didn't have a knob. They were trapped... most likely with more spiders than either one of them had ever seen in their entire lives.

Tony went over the room trying to find a way out. Kathryn watched him with an amused smile.

"Help me move the mirror. I think it might be a hidden passage."

They dug their fingers into the frame and pulled. Tony was right, the mirror concealed a staircase... that only went down. They had no choice but to follow them.

* * *

Coral was getting frustrated. Only a few minutes after she fell into that trapdoor Andy and Randy joined her. They started calling the room they were in 'the pit of despair'. She would have rather been stuck in the room with Tony.

"Will you two shut and help me find a way out of here?"

"We found a passage."

"It leads to a staircase."

"Well, let's get go. I don't want to be here any longer than I have to."

* * *

Alex and Samantha soon found themselves approaching a flight of stairs that were going up... after going in a circle. They didn't find any doors. Neither one of them noticed the door halfway up and kept climbing. Eventually they found a sign that said exit.

"I'm never coming here ever again," said Samantha. "This was in no way, shape, or form fun."

"C'mon, let's wait for the others by the van. They shouldn't be that far behind us." He put his hand on the small of her back.

* * *

Tony and Kathryn found themselves in a living room that was covered in cobwebs. They didn't stay in that room for long. Fortunately, the door had a knob. Unfortunately, it lead back to the entrance hall. They went the same way as before. They went through the spinning room with no problems and took the door that Sam and Alex took the first time around. They were practically running at that point, just wanting to get out of the house. Halfway up they nearly literally ran into Coral and the twins.

"You guys ready to get out of here?" asked Tony. They took the stairs all the way to the top and found the exit.

* * *

Alex and Sam were talking to the creepy man that they paid at the entrance. The group raised an eyebrow at this.

"Hey, Francis here was just telling us that this is a make your own scary movie haunted house. He was just giving us copies of the tapes. Apparently, his son is a film student and this was a project...." He looked at Tony. "It was mentioned in the ad that he in the newspaper. Somehow I wasn't given that bit."

"So the whole 'Coral, Andy, and Randy are dead' was a prank." Anger flared in Kathryn's eyes. "I really should kill you for that. I was really worried about them!"

"You're the one that said I didn't know how the have fun."

Monday October 31, 1988

Trick-or-treating with Kelly was exhausting. They went to three different neighborhoods that were all within walking distance and two more that Shannon drove them to. But he had to admit that it was nothing like how it was from when he was a kid... even if he did have to carry that ridiculous butterfly net.


	6. November 1988

CBS and Paramount Pictures own NCIS.

You're to Blame

**You are to blame for anything that is good in my heart. You are to blame for this change that has taken me by storm. - Mercy Me**

Chapter Six – November 1988

Thursday November 3, 1988

In the past few months that Shannon had known Tony, she had noticed a great improvement in him. He wasn't as withdrawn as he was when they first met. He came to her, sometimes, when he needed her help. He did things around the house without being asked (which was a surprising in of itself since teenaged boys aren't known for doing things like that). Most importantly, he was talking. Usually it was nonstop chatter about sports or school but sometimes he would talk about Kathryn.

He hadn't said too much more about his past. Shannon understood that it was painful for him so she wasn't going to force him to open up to her. That could have its own damaging side effects. It she wasn't careful he may never tell her what happened.

It seemed that Tony would always go to Kelly when life got to be too much for him and he didn't want to talk about it yet. She had an impossibly strong calming effect on him. She didn't need to what's wrong with him order to help. Shannon guessed that it was her innocence that attracted him to the little girl.

Today was one the bad days. He went straight to the basement as soon as he got home. That was Jethro's cue to follow.

"The other students in my classes found out that I made the dean's list." Tony didn't turn around from his sanding when he heard Jethro approach. "They said I didn't earn it. They said that I only made the list because I'm a seventeen-year-old in classes of people four years older than I am. They couldn't accept that I'm just might be smarter than they are. The 'kid'," he spat the word out as though it was a curse, "couldn't possibly know what he's doing. He can't get on the dean's list fairly.

"I should have stuck with Phys. Ed. No one would have taken much notice of my there. They would have thought that I was just really good at sports. It wouldn't have mattered to a bunch of jocks that I'm smart."

Jethro just stood there and waited. Tony needed to rant out his feelings. "But why should they even care that I made the list. Why did they even mention that they didn't make it because of me? They could feel embarrassed... They are embarrassed. It makes so much sense now." Then he felt the familiar sting on the back of his head. "What was that for?" He glared a Jethro.

"Doubting yourself."

Saturday November 5, 1988

Family portraits was one thing Tony's mother insisted on doing every year. He had to wear those awful suits his mother was so fond of. His mother and father bought clothes that wouldn't have bee out of place on the red carpet. The only difference in each photo was the dress and the size of the miserable little boy who was standing between the stoic couple.

Shannon also liked her family portraits. However, unlike Tony's mother, she also liked her candid snapshots. She proved that when she started to take pictures of him and Kelly. She also insisted that Jethro took pictures as well.

That didn't stop him from being reluctant to go to a professional photographer to get a family portraits done as well as a few individual shots so that Kelly could put a picture of him in her locket. But this was for his mom so he would suffer through it.

What he wasn't expecting was being forced into an oversized sweater that had a reindeer with a red nose on it. It was barely a step up from the sailor suits that he remembered not so fondly.

Shannon was on the other side of the room playing with Kelly when Tony first complained about the sweater.

"It's not that―" started Jethro.

"Horrible," Tony whispered frantically.

"I wasn't going to say horrible." Though Jethro knew that it did look pretty bad on him. He felt sorry for the kid but he couldn't do anything about it. Once Shannon made up her mind about something there was no changing it.

"I wouldn't mind the sweater so much if it actually fit me. Please burn it. I don't care that I'm still wearing it."

"I'm not burning it," Jethro hissed. "I have to wear one as well." He pointed to the picture on his sweater. His wasn't embarrassing.

"Yeah, Santa Claus. And yours fits you. I'm stuck with a reindeer!"

"Rudolph."

"What?" Tony wasn't expecting a change in topic.

"The reindeer is Rudolph."

He had never heard of Rudolph but that didn't matter at the moment. "I don't care what reindeer it is. You have any idea how bad Alex is going to tease me if he ever sees me like this? He's still... upset about the haunted house."

"Tony, he left you in the middle of nowhere with no way to contact me! He's more than upset about the haunted house.

"Please don't make me wear this." He was practically whining but he didn't care as long as there was no proof that he was forced to wear that god-awful sweater.

"Stop complaining."

"This has got to be considered to be cruel and unusual," muttered Tony under his breath. WHACK! Tony was head slapped. "Thank you, Dad."

"Remember that you are doing this for your mom. I'm sure that not too many people will see it." He wasn't sure if that was true because he was positive that all of Stillwater was going to see it. Even though he didn't like that Tony was with him he would probably put the picture on display in his store.

Wednesday November 9, 1988

Last month it was songs about pumpkins, this month it's turkeys. Tony didn't even know that there were songs about turkeys. His kindergarten would have thought that teaching such things was frivolous. Even that early in his education his school was more focused on academics. His school would never approve of such songs. Of course it was ABC's and 123's. But they didn't learn songs... not songs about turkeys.

Kelly, on the other hand, wouldn't stop singing that really annoying song. She really had to stop or the whole family was going to go insane... or even more insane than before she started singing.

Thursday November 10, 1988

The weeks before a major holiday were always Shannon's busiest. Thanksgiving was the second busiest after Christmas. And this being Tony's first proper Thanksgiving with a family, it had to be perfect.

But first she needed to know what Tony considered to be a traditional Thanksgiving. She wanted this to be fun for him. So when she asked she couldn't help but feel disgusted by what he had to go through for his father.

Holidays were formal. Tony had to be on his best behavior for the guests that he barely knew other than as his father's associates and work partners. None of them had children so he was basically ignored and told to stay out of the way. It wasn't a family holiday... it was just another excuse to work. It was worse after his mother died.

That made her more determined to make this the best Thanksgiving he ever had.

Friday November 11, 1988

Shannon usually took Tony grocery shopping with her and Kelly. Even he still didn't know what his favorite foods were. Shannon didn't want to force him to eat things that he didn't like... though she did expect him the at least try things he never had before.

This time she didn't. She wanted the Thanksgiving meal to be a surprise for Tony. He knew what most families traditionally ate but he never experienced it himself. Shannon was going to make sure that he tried everything. She was going to make everything cook everything unlike his mother that probably had the meal catered.

Most importantly Shannon wanted him to know what Thanksgiving really means... that it was about family and not about making a deal with a client.

The only sound in the car was the radio. Kathryn could tell that Tony was once again deep in thought. Not too many people could tell when Tony was thinking. Kathryn was on of those few. She was slightly proud of that fact.

Suddenly he flipped off the radio.

"When am I going to meet your boyfriend?"

The question surprised her. They hadn't discussed her boyfriend since they had that fight. "Why do you want to meet David?"

"Call it best friends prerogative. I have the right to know whether or not he's good enough for you."

Kathryn sighed. "I don't think we are going to be together for much longer. I'm going to break up with him after Thanksgiving."

"Why?"

"All we do is fight. I'm getting sick of it."

"No, why after Thanksgiving?" He couldn't understand why she would wait when was unhappy. It didn't make any sense.

"I don't want to ruin his holiday."

That answer confused Tony. Breaking up with him, two weeks before the holiday, wasn't going to ruin Thanksgiving. He called her on it.

"Liar. I think you are scared.

"Am not." She folded her arms across her chest defensively.

Tony laughed and childishly answered, "Are too."

* * *

Only Shannon realized that it was six months to the day that Tony had moved in with them. She sat with Jethro, cuddled comfortably in his side.

"Are you glad we kept him?" asked Shannon smugly as they watched Tony and Kelly at the piano.

"Yeah."

"Is that all you can say? Repeat after me. Shannon, you were right."

"Shannon, you were right. Happy?"

"Yeah," she mimicked. "You think he'll make another chocolate cake?"

Monday November 14, 1988

Kathryn had ten days to prove to Tony that she wasn't afraid of breaking up with David. She didn't want to hurt him. David was a good gut in spite of all of the fights he started.

She never had to break up with someone before, she was only sixteen after all. David was her first boyfriend... the first guy she went out on more than two dates with... the first boy that she kissed...

This was going to be a lot harder than she wanted it to be.

She let out a sigh as the English Literature teacher dismissed the class and went off to find David.

Tony knew instantly that something was wrong when Kathryn turned off the car radio. One of her favorite songs was playing. The only reason she would have turned it off was because she was upset. He wasn't going to push her into talking Shannon had taught him to be patient.

"I caught him... cheating. His tongue was shoved so far down the girl's throat that I wouldn't be surprised that she has difficulties breathing for the rest of her life... I kinda feel bad for her."

"You want me to beat him up?" he asked seriously.

"No, I already gave him a black eye. So, I'm good. He's been telling everybody that he walked into a door. I don't think anyone actually believes him.

"He told me that I wasn't giving him what he needed. He said that his cheating was my fault. That was the wrong thing to say in front of the other girl... She got his other eye." She smiled slightly at the memory.

"No wonder no one believed him... I can still beat him up for you, Kitten."

"That won't be necessary, Tony." She smiled up at him for the offer.

Friday November 18, 1988

Babysitting Kelly and Maddie was becoming a common occurrence, much to Tony's annoyance. He didn't mind looking after Kelly, she was his baby sister. However, Maddie wasn't his responsibility. He couldn't do anything to keep her happy...

Or out of trouble.

Maddie somehow convinced Kelly that putting her head between the railings that lead upstairs was a good idea. It wasn't and now they were both stuck with Maddie laying on top of the much smaller Kelly.

Tony knew that if he didn't get them out that he was likely a dead man walking.

Stuff like this only happened on TV. He just couldn't remember how they fixed it without tearing apart the staircase. He did remember something about butter. Neither girl was happy about having butter about having butter spread on their heads. Maddie was glaring at him at the whole time he was working and was positive that Kelly would have been glaring as well if she wasn't being squashed by Maddie. He tried to tug the girls free but they wouldn't budge.

Tony told the girls that he would be right back before he went downstairs. He had no choice but to get a saw, which, he thought, was likely the way that he was going to be killed. The rail next to the girls' heads was removed before he cut the one that had them trapped. He wasn't taking any risks that he didn't have to and was giving himself room to work the saw. He told Maddie to lie as still as possible before covering both of them with towels the protect them from sawdust. If one of them sneezed... well, Tony didn't even want to think about what could happen.

He was halfway done when Tony heard the door open. He was dead. Stopping what he was doing he went to greet them... and possibly literally save his neck. "Before you kill me please let me explain that almost none of this is my fault."

"What isn't your fault?" demanded Jethro.

"I swear that I only took my eyes off from them for a few minutes." He lead his parents to the girls. "I found them like this, well, except for the butter. That was all my idea. I was hoping that they would just slip out at I could wash their hair and no one would know the difference."

Then Shannon did the last thing he expected her to do. She laughed.

"Did you get any pictures?" she asked after she calmed down.

"A few," Tony admitted. "I couldn't resist. But maybe we should focus on getting the two of them out of this mess... both of them." He eyed the butter. "Besides, the Squirt can't be too comfortable with Maddie sitting on her."

"I'm not," complained Kelly from under her towel.

Jethro finished the job while Shannon made sure that neither girl moved.

Thursday November 24, 1988 (Thanksgiving)

Tony and Jethro were bored out of their minds watching the Thanksgiving Day Parade on the TV with Kelly when Shannon placed a bag of potatoes between the two of them and handed them each a peeler and a bowl.

"I am not making this by myself. Now, get to it!"

"Yes, Ma'am," they both dutifully answered at the same time.

Not even Kelly was spared from helping. She was given the job of folding napkins and other small tasks that someone her size was suited to do.

* * *

Shannon had really outdone herself. There were mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, squash, fruit salad, canned cranberry sauce, dinner rolls, and of course the center piece... the turkey. She also made pumpkin and pecan pies that were going to be topped with vanilla ice cream. To say the least, Tony was impressed by the amount of food on the table.

But before they ate Shannon wanted to try something.

"I know in the past we didn't do this, but this year we have a lot to be thankful for. So, I want to go around the table and say one thing that you are thankful for. And Tony, nothing superficial." Tony glared at her playfully but at the same time wondered how she knew him so well. "I'm thankful for our family and the fact that it isn't only blood relations that make you family but also how you feel about those that you surround yourself with."

Then it was Jethro's turn. "I'm thankful that we made through these past few months stronger than we were when everything started happening. That we made it through the hard times relatively unharmed.

Tony still didn't know what to say. He gave Kelly his best charm smile. "Ladies first." This caused Kelly to giggle as she nodded.

"I'm thankful that Mommy and Daddy and Tony love me because I love you lots."

Tony looked thoughtful for a moment before he slowly began to talk. "I used to be afraid of change because change was usually bad or caused by something bad, like my mother's death or being sent away and being abandoned by my father. But this time change caused a lot of good things in my life. Change gave me the best family and friends someone could ask for... not that I asked. Yeah, this year I'm thankful for change."

Tony nearly regretted what he said. No one actually says that they are thankful for change. However, Shannon's words made him feel better.

"You are right, Sweetie. We should be thankful that things change. Otherwise life would be rather boring." With that they dug into their meal.

Friday November 25, 1988

Jethro had never been happier that he had an excuse to stay home while his wife and daughter went shopping. He had a staircase to fix and it was going to take him and Tony all day to complete the project. He couldn't possibly go shopping when there was work to be done.

They bought everything they needed the day after the girls got themselves stuck in the railings but until today Tony had been too busy with his classes to help. With the long weekend Tony could wait a day to do his large pile of homework.

Tearing out the rail was the hard part since Jethro was too keen on having huge hole in his wall. Having too pairs of hands went a long way in preventing that from happening... even if one of those pairs of hands was inexperienced with doing major household chores. Tony needed to learn these things if he wanted to take care of his own family one day and he was the only one around that was willing to teach him.

It didn't take Jethro long to figure out that Tony had a steep learning curve as long as he was interested in what he was learning. He wouldn't be surprised that the boy only learned the basics, but that was better than nothing. So it came to no surprise that Tony seemed to know what he needed before he even asked.

Always anticipate... that sounded like a new rule for life. If only he remembered what number he was on.....

Tuesday November 29, 1988

It was snowing. Steady and hard. Shannon loved it sense it hardly ever snowed like that in November. It was the excuse that she needed to make hot cocoa. Tony watched while he pretended to make new flashcards. She placed a mug in front of him and put marshmallows in it. She didn't say anything but made it clear that she expected him to drink. She tilted her own mug towards as though saying 'cheers' and took a sip.

She hoped that by appealing to his once nonexistent sweet tooth, he would stop drinking that swill Jethro called coffee. He was still young so there was a chance for him to reform his caffeine drinking habits. He didn't need to survive on coffee like Jethro seemed to.

Tony looked into Shannon's eyes even as she took a sip of her cocoa. He was trying to figure her out and she knew it. He sat back when he understood what she was doing.

"I applaud your attempt but I'm going to continue drinking coffee in the morning. It isn't that bad. You might as well give now because you will never win the war."

"I'm going to keep trying. It's my job as your mom to keep you healthy. Jethro may be a lost cause but I have hope that I can save your stomach.... will you compromise and add milk to that stuff that you drink."

Tony only shook his head and went back to his flashcards.

Wednesday November 30, 1988

Kathryn hadn't really left the house other than the Black Friday shopping trip since she broke up with David. But now she wanted to do something... anything that would burn the extra energy she had been feeling all day.

She wanted to go ice skating. As luck would have it, only Tony was available to come... well, Coral could have come but she still hated Tony and didn't want anything to do with him.

There was one tiny problem, Tony didn't know how to skate. Kathryn said that she would teach him. She had been skating since she was four.

Later that night Tony would wonder whether or not that was the biggest mistake he's ever made.

It all started off innocent enough. Kathryn was holding onto Tony so that he didn't fall. She couldn't believe how unsteady he was on the ice. After a while she loosened her grip on Tony thinking that he was ready to skate on his own. That was her first mistake, he wasn't ready. Her second mistake was trying to prevent him falling by tying to catch him.

He pulled her down with him. Their lips were less than half an inch from the others. Their eyes were starring into each others souls. Each of them were confused by what they saw.

And then Kathryn jumped off from Tony, mumbling an excuse that she had to get home. Tony didn't miss the pink tinge to her cheeks but he agreed to take her.

A/N sorry that this is so short (Yeah, I know, sign of weakness). I swear that I have ideas but they won't fit until much later. I'll post again next week with Christmas!


	7. December 1988

CBS and Paramount Pictures own NCIS.

You're to Blame

**You are to blame for anything that is good in my heart. You are to blame for this change that has taken me by storm. - Mercy Me**

Chapter Seven – December 1988

Thursday December 1, 1988

As a child getting a Christmas tree was the best part of the holiday... other than the presents from Santa Claus. No matter what day of the week it was, her dad would always get a tree on the first day of December. It was a tradition that her grandfather and father shared. And now she was sharing it with Tony and Kelly. One day she hoped that they would continue the tradition with their children.

Kelly ran ahead to Shannon and Tony, pointing to all of the trees that she wanted. Shannon only smiled and told her that the tree was much too large for their small home. Though Tony thought that they would have been considered too small by his father's standards. Nothing less than twelve feet was good enough for his house. Not that Tony's father would have noticed. The number of tomes that he nearly walked into the tree proved that.

Tony had never picked out a tree before. His mother and father hired people to do stuff like that for him. Even then it wouldn't be put up until the weekend before Christmas and would be taken down the following day. That way they didn't have to worry about the mess.

But now he was standing in front of a seven foot beauty. It was perfect. Shannon seemed to think so as well since the tree was was soon tied to the roof of the car.

* * *

Jethro had taken the time they were gone to take out the decorations and started hanging them outside. That was another thing his father hired people to do... and that was only because his mother insisted that they had an image to keep.

Tony had once asked his father if he could help decorate the tree. He yelled at Tony for not behaving like a DiNozzo. He wasn't allowed to open his presents until after the new year. He didn't mind that much. Nothing he got was on his Christmas list.

Here Kelly was in charge if decorating the tree. If she didn't like where you put something, which wasn't often, she could move it to where she did want it. Tony was expected to participate. He even put the lights on the tree himself.

Even with all of the mismatched and homemade ornaments, it was the best tree Tony had ever seen. It was much better than the ones that his father paid someone to decorate.

Saturday December 3, 1988

Since the almost kiss, Kathryn had barely said more than 'hi' and 'bye' to Tony each day. She didn't know what to say to him. Should she mention what nearly happened? Would he want to talk about it? In the end, Tony didn't say anything.

The feelings were intense, wonderful, overwhelming. She had never felt anything like it before. She was in love with her best friend and she couldn't do anything about it.

* * *

Kelly wanted to see Santa Claus at the mall. Shannon was apparently too busy with Gwen and Jethro tended to avoid the mall like the plague. Tony had to take her.... after Shannon bribed him with homemade brownies.

When they got to the mall Tony understood why Shannon and Jethro didn't want to take her. The parking lot was packed. He finally found a spot at the back of lot and at the opposite end of the mall that Santa was at. It was too far for Kelly to walk so Tony had her piggyback with the warning that if she kicked him that he would turn around without seeing Santa.

The long walk did give Tony a chance to window shop. He had never gotten his mother anything and the one time he did give his father a Christmas present he had thrown it away in the trash. It really was a nice tie.

Halfway to Santa was a kiosk that only sold coffee mugs. There was bound to be something that he could get at store like that for Jethro. Shannon was harder to shop for. A book was a safe bet. He might also find something for Kathryn at a bookstore as well.

But before he could do any shopping Kelly had to see Santa. And to do that they had to stand in line for over an hour. Well, Tony stood in line, Kelly refused to get off Tony's back. She could see Santa better from there. Tony did stand at five foot seven inches.

Finally they got to the front.

"So, what do you want for Christmas?"

"A horse!"

Tony watched as Kelly talked about the horse that she wasn't getting. It did give an idea for what she could get. Kelly and Santa also had their picture taken.

They made a few stops to get presents before they went home.

Sunday December 4, 1988

Tony really took the 'work smarter not harder' rule to heart. He still studied a lot but not to the point that he was exhausted all the time. He also drank coffee but no more that a mug to two a day. Shannon was more than happy that he was slowing down.

He had a lot of homework, usually spending hours at a time at his computer. His typing had gotten better so he wasn't taping at the keyboard with only two fingers. That was something that he was thankful for because otherwise he would have been spending even more time working.

Sometimes though, all of that time spent indoors built up more energy than his morning run could release. The punching bag was getting a lot of abuse. This time, not even that was working.

He wanted to play. The fact that there was six inches of snow on the ground left from the snowstorm only made that instinct stronger. He could focus on only one thing (which was unusual) and that was building a snowman. Now, all he had to do was get Kelly pass Shannon so that they could go outside. Getting Kelly into warm clothes was the easy part.

The door closed with a soft click as they left through the front door. Shannon was in the kitchen so they stay in the front. No one would notice them them there unless they were looking and no one was looking.

Tony positioned the first snowball in the middle of the yard where everyone could see it.

"Hey, Squirt, are you done with you snowball?" Tony asked but he was met with silence. "Squirt?" This time he was answered when he felt the smack of a snowball hitting the back of his head. No one but Jethro would smack him at that particular spot. Getting into a snowball fight with a Marine sniper probably wasn't his best idea but he did it anyways. He threw a snowball back at Jethro and was surprised that it hit it's mark. But then he was hit was twice with low flying snowballs in the side. He gently tossed one at Kelly and knew he got her when he heard a soft "eep". They continued like that until Kelly was soaked and shivering.

Tony and Kelly never finished that snowman.

Tuesday December 6, 1988

Kathryn had no idea how hard it was to shop for your best friend when that best friend was a boy, especially since she was in love with him. Her aunt had suggested the movies that she had given to him for his birthday.

She didn't want the get him movies again. While he would most likely love them, it was taking the easy way out. In the end, she wandered through the store until she found something that she knew he would like.

* * *

It was only on a rare occasion that Jethro and Kelly were able to get daddy/daughter time. Shannon was at Gwen's house and Tony was with some friends. He couldn't help but hope that they didn't abandon him in Maryland again. It was hard enough to explain what happened to Shannon once, twice would be impossible.

Kelly was the one who wanted to work on the boat. He hadn't had a lot of time to work on her since Tony came into their lives. Jethro didn't care that he needed his attention. In fact, he had always wanted a son. However, Shannon had experienced complications while giving birth to Kelly. Adoption was their only option to make that possible but they wanted to wait until Kelly was older so she could understand what was going on. Then Tony happened and everything fell into place.

He kept an eye on her so that she didn't hurt herself as she sanded the rib. He didn't even have to remind her to sand with the grain.

"You are doing good, Kel." She beamed at her daddy's praise.

"Are we really going to sail the boat when it's done?"

"Of course we are. There's no point in building a boat that you don't plan to sail. That's the purpose of a boat. It was would be wrong to take that away."

"What if it's never finished?"

"Then we just keep working until we do."

* * *

Tony was getting worried. He had no idea where they were. And by the look of things, neither did Alex. That didn't bode well with Tony. For one, it was one of his dad's rules, call if you go further than twenty miles outside Washington city limits. They were definitely much further than that.

He told Danny, who was driving, to pull into a diner. As soon and Tony and Alex were out of the car's way, Danny left with Chris.

"Well, you want to call your dad or mine?" asked Alex.

"Rock, Paper, Scissors?" Neither option was all that appealing.

Less than two minutes later Tony was calling Jethro.

"Um... Dad, can you come pick me up?"

"Please tell me that you haven't been abandoned and are alone in the middle of nowhere, Maryland again. I don't like explaining these things to your mom."

"Well, I'm not alone in Maryland..." Jethro sighed in relief a moment too soon. "We are in the middle of nowhere, Virginia. Alex is with me." He tried to explain the situation as best he could, saying as few words as possible. It didn't help that he didn't know exactly where they were. That meant that it would take him longer to find them. Though Tony wouldn't put it past him to get NIS to help search for them. He gave Jethro the highway number they were on and as many details as he could before he hung up. He then hoped for the best.

"Now, we wait," said Alex as he slid into a booth. "Do you want pie? I'm getting pie. Cherry sounds good right now.

Alex was finishing his pie when Jethro arrived. He did not look happy. After Alex paid, the boys were ushered out to the car.

"Explain."

Usually Jethro would be dubious when someone started out by saying 'it wasn't my fault'. However, after last month's incident with the stairs, he actually believed it when Tony said that it wasn't his fault. Alex on the other hand....

"You really need to choose your friends better, Alex. You're lucky that this place had a payphone. I will be telling your parents what happened. Tony, you are grounded for a week. We will discuss details later with Shannon."

It took Tony a moment to understand what grounded meant. "I'm being punished. For what?" Jethro had never punished him before.

"For not calling before you left the twenty mile radius." It may not have been his fault but he probably had other chances to call, it was his responsibility. "I need to where you go, Tony. It's for your own safety."

When they got home Tony stormed off to his room. Shannon went to follow him but Jethro stopped her. She didn't know the whole situation and Tony wasn't likely going to be receptive to advice.

"So, he's just behaving like a teenager? Finally. Sometimes he acts too mature for his age."

"Almost. Something is missing."

"Music. No matter how angry he his, he would never wake Kelly. Making her cranky is the last thing he wants to do."

A few minutes later Shannon knocked on Tony's door before entering. He was reading Sherlock Holmes rather than one of his textbooks. Her genius child was acting like a normal teen. It was a bit of a shock.

"Rest of the week there will be no TV, no movies, no phone, no friends at the house. You are allowed to pick Kathryn up from school but other than that school and back. You can go to the library but only if you tell me or your dad that you are going. Got it?" Tony nodded but didn't look up from his book. "Good."

Saturday December 10, 1988

The punishment wasn't that bad. Tony missed his movies but he went three days without seeing a movie before. He probably wouldn't have noticed that he hadn't seen a movie in three days if he wasn't grounded.

Now that he was allowed it was the first thing he wanted to do. Well, after he made a phone call to Kathryn. Alex was still grounded.

"Kitten!" Kathryn smiled when she heard Tony on the other end of the line. She didn't know when she stopped yelling at Tony for calling her 'Kitten'.

"Hey, Tony. You're no longer under house arrest?"

"Nope, and to celebrate I'm going out to a movie tonight. You wanna come?"

"Sure. Who else is coming?"

"No one. Alex is still grounded until Monday and I won't take his brothers without him. Dad doesn't approve of Chris an Danny after they dropped me is Virginia. Samantha won't go without Coral... Coral hates me for some reason so I don't expect them to come."

"Oh, alright. No problem." She tried to sound casual but felt as though she failed. "Pick me up at six."

When he hung up he wasn't surprised that Jethro was standing behind him. What Tony wasn't expecting were his words.

"How long have you and Kathryn been dating?" Tony couldn't read the expression on his face.

"I'm not dating Kathryn. She's just a friend. And since I don't have too many of those I not going to jeopardize that."

"Alright." It was obvious that he didn't full believe Tony.

* * *

Tony couldn't concentrate on the movie, _Twins_, at all. He could tell you who was in it (Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DiVito) but only because he saw the poster. The plot wasn't enough to keep him interested. He kept sneaking peeks at Kathryn. She hadn't taken her eyes off the screen once.

He blamed the fact that he was distracted on his dad. His mind would have never connect going out with Kathryn as a date if it hadn't been mentioned. They were friends. That was all they could be. Tony could live with that.

Contrary to appearances, Kathryn wasn't paying attention to the movie. The whole situation was uncomfortable. It felt that everyone in the theater could feel the tension between the two of them.

"Well, that was..." started Tony.

"Not a good movie. I didn't like it."

"Neither did I."

Monday December 12, 1988

For all the Christmas traditions Tony had been introduced to, this one had to be the one he understood least. That morning Shannon told him that they were going to go out to look at other people's Christmas decorations. He couldn't understand why that would be fun or entertaining. He had seen the lights on the other houses on the base. There wasn't anything all that special about it.

But Shannon said that he was going to do and he couldn't say no to Shannon... at least he didn't have to wear that horrible sweater again. He was told to come straight home. There would be time to study at the library later.

It was just getting dark when Shannon practically shoved them all into the car. Tony was almost glad to see that Jethro was nearly as reluctant as he was. He probably had been doing this for years and knew the routine by heart. This wasn't like getting a tree or having their picture taken. This was looking at other people's houses for no other reason than the gawk.

He had to be doing this for Kelly. There was no way that he would drive around the city looking at houses if it were just for Shannon. Tony knew he loved her, but even Jethro Gibbs had a line that he wouldn't cross for the woman he would die for. Kelly had him wrapped around her finger. So if she wanted to look at the pretty lights they were going to look at the pretty lights.

With that, Tony looked out the car window with a glazed look in his eyes, not really seeing anything. It took all that he had in him not to fall asleep before they were half done with the tour. The only thing that kept him awake was Kelly's mindless chatter and the Christmas carols that were playing on the radio.

Thursday December 15, 1988

Tony had the weekend to prepare before final exams began. This time though, he wasn't in a complete panic mode. He took his time going through the material until he was sure that he knew it. He took regular breaks and spent time with Kathryn and Alex. He didn't want to feel the stress that his midterms caused. He wanted to pass his classes and start his new ones without any fuss.

Saturday December 17, 1988

Sugar cookies. That was what Kelly wanted to bake that day. Shannon wanted to make a few dozen, so Tony was recruited to help. He had watched Shannon and Kelly bake cookies before on multiple occasions but that was always chocolate chip, peanut butter, oatmeal raisin. One time they made some that had coffee crystals in them. After the way Tony reacted to the caffeine, which wasn't pretty, Shannon refused to make them again. Yet, they had never made sugar cookies. Tony thought that was a bit odd but didn't question it.

Using the cookie cutters was fun. They were shaped like Santa Claus, reindeer, snowmen, and Christmas trees.

While the first batch was cooling they made icing. Kelly liked watching the icing change colors as they added food coloring. When Shannon wasn't looking Tony smudged red icing on Kelly's nose. It was even funnier because she kept trying to lick it off. Jethro saw her when he went to the kitchen for more coffee but didn't say anything. He did give Tony a look but all Tony did was shrug his shoulders.

Saturday December 24, 1988

Shannon really had to stop telling them their plans last minute. Gwen was out of town of a company Christmas party until early the next morning. Since she didn't want Kathryn to be alone when she woke on Christmas she was having her stay with the Gibbs for the night. That meant Kelly was going to have a roommate.

After dinner Shannon turned on some Christmas music. Tony approached Kathryn with a smile in his face. That made her a little nervous.

"Kitten, dance with me!" She noticed that his smile reached his eyes. He was genuinely happy.

"What? Tony no."

"C'mon, it'll be fun." He grabbed her hand and pulled her from the couch.

Kathryn laughed. "I'm not too sure about that. You do have a warped sense of what is fun. Alex left you in Maryland because of it."

"True, but other people think dancing is fun. Just follow my lead." She couldn't resist his charm anymore and finally nodded.

_Run, Run, Rudolph _was playing. Tony spun her around the living room. He didn't step on her toes once. In fact, he kept her moving until the end of the song. She was out of breath when she sat down. But everyone could see the smile on her face was just as wide as Tony's.

"Hey Mom, _It's a Wonderful Life_ is on. Can we watch it?" He gave her a pleading look.

"Sure, Sweetie. I haven't seen that one in a while... not since before Jethro and I married. And I'm sure Kelly would love that movie."

"Great! We need popcorn. You can't watch that movie without it."

"I can make it," offered Kathryn, wanting to feel that she wasn't a burden to the family. "I've seen this movie every year since I was five. I don't mind missing the first few minutes."

Shannon knew that there were other Christmas movies on. That made her curious as to why Tony would pick that one. When she asked his answer surprised everyone in the room.

"My mother watched it with me once when I was nine. Every year since then I watched it by myself. Even when I was at RIMA I managed to watch it."

* * *

It wasn't long after Tony fell asleep that he was being shaken awake by Kathryn. Even half asleep he knew why she was in his room. No one likes to share a bed with a kicker. Tony moved to the other side of the bed so that they would both be comfortable. He wasn't sleeping on the floor, it was hardwood. The couch in the living room was just as bad.

Kathryn buried her head in the pillow. "Thanks Tony."

He didn't answer because he was already fast asleep.

Sunday December 25, 1988

When Kelly woke that morning it was still very dark outside.... not that mattered to the little girl. But no one else wanted to get out of bed at 4:30. Though that thought didn't even cross Kelly's mind. Kathryn wasn't in her bed anymore so that must have meant that she was awake.

She had no problem with going into her parents room and jumping on the bed to wake them. However, Jethro's did have a problem with it. He may be used to sleeping odd hours but that didn't mean that he didn't want to sleep for a little longer. In order for that to happen the kid had to go.

"Kel, bed. Now."

"Daddy! Santa was here. I wanna open my presents." She was whining and her her lower lip was set in a cute pout.

"Later, princess. Go back to bed until I say you can come out."

"But―"

"Now."

She stalked off to her room and sat on her bed. Within a few minutes she was fast asleep again.

* * *

When Tony and Kathryn fell asleep there was a good amount of space between them. However when Tony woke he found that his arm was wrapped around her waist and her head was tucked neatly under his chin clutching his shirt with a death-grip.

He felt himself panicking.

Never did he think of himself as someone who liked to cuddle. His father never allowed him as a child. Little boys did not cuddle with their parents, was one of those things that he heard one more than on occasion. Boys weren't afraid of anything; especially not figments of their imaginations. It wasn't real so there was no reason to be scared. But here he was cuddled up with Kathryn and was comfortable with the position he was in.... not that he was in it for long.

He pulled himself out of Kathryn's grip trying not to wake her. He didn't want her to think that he took advantage of her even though they both knew

But Kathryn was already awake. She felt Tony shift away from her and felt oddly disappointed. She moved closer to where Tony had been lying because she liked the warmth it provided. Though she nearly stiffened with surprise when he tucked a blanket around her more securely and forced herself to relax as to not arouse his suspicion that she was awake. He was just starting to pull away when she decided to reveal herself.

"Tony, it's too early to be awake. Come back to bed." He looked at the clock, 6:33. He got up earlier than to go for his runs.

"Can't sleep. I'll be in the kitchen." He really wanted to get back into bed but he didn't want to become too comfortable with Kathryn lying next to him. "You go ahead and stay where you are."

* * *

Tony's cooking woke everyone. So soon after breakfast they opened presents. It was lucky that Gwen arrived just as the started handing everything out. As the youngest Kelly was allowed to open one first. She pick out the one that was from Tony.

She gasped in delight. "Horses! Thank you, Tony." The girl gave Tony a hug.

"Well, since Mom and Dad won't let you have a real one I thought that those would make a good substitute. They come with detachable saddles and things like that."

Kathryn opened one from Gwen next. She didn't say anything more than 'thank you' when she saw that it was _Monopoly._

They continued on like this opening their presents. Jethro really liked the coffee mugs that Tony picked out... though he could have gone without the mug that had Strawberry Shortcake on it. Tony explained that Kelly had picked that one. Shannon also enjoyed the international cookbook that she got.

Then Kathryn picked out Tony's gift for her. All of them were books by Jane Austin and other famous women authors. The gift was perfect. He must have noticed that her copies of _Emma _and _Jane Eyre _were falling apart. Kathryn got Tony an acoustic guitar. It wasn't expensive but it would work when he was just learning how to play. She also got him a few music books so that he could learn the chords.

The rest of the presents were toys and clothes. Kelly also got a new bike.

Tony sat at the piano with Kelly. He had sheet music in front of him so he could play a few Christmas carols while teaching Kelly at the same time. Even though it had been years since he had played any of them he managed to do it nearly flawlessly. It turned out that he had a decent voice now that he wasn't singing _Piano Man_.

Saturday December 31, 1988

_Ten..._

It was Shannon that told him about the kissing next to you tradition at the strike of midnight.

_...nine..._

He didn't have to kiss her. She wouldn't think less of him.

_...eight..._

He could kiss her on the cheek.

_...seven..._

But she might be offended if he tried.

_...six..._

He couldn't even move away from her. She was holding on to his arm.

_...five..._

Somehow she got him to look into her eyes.

_...four..._

Somehow it all felt like a good idea to kiss her.

_...three..._

He couldn't look away.

_...two..._

He didn't want to look away.

_...one..._

He froze.


	8. January Feburary 1989

CBS and Paramount Pictures own NCIS.

You're to Blame

**You are to blame for anything that is good in my heart. You are to blame for this change that has taken me by storm. - Mercy Me**

Chapter Eight – January 1989-February 1989

Sunday January 1, 1989

Kathryn couldn't believe it when Tony froze just before he was going to kiss her. So she made his mind up for him and pressed her lips against his. She kept the kiss short and sweet, leaving Tony in a mild state of shock. She moved away but was pulled into another kiss when Tony drew her closer by wrapping his arms around her. It was light and perfect and nothing like how she imagined their first would be like.

And before she knew it, it was over and Tony was gone. Shannon hugged her close once she realized what happened Neither of them said anything but Shannon motioned that Jethro that he should follow Tony. She then led Kathryn to the couch just as the first tears began to fall.

Jethro found Tony beating the punching bag more aggressively than usual. He winced when he saw that Tony wasn't wearing gloves. Even after only a few minutes Tony's knuckles were bloody. He only stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. They both sank to the floor.

"I really screwed up this time." It barely came out as a whisper.

"Yeah, you did." Tony stared at him in disbelief. That wasn't what he expected to hear. "You screwed up when you walked away from her. That was the dumbest thing you have ever done. Now you have to fix it."

"I'm pretty sure that I screwed up when I kissed her."

Jethro shook his at how blind the boy was. "Just talk to her."

Friday January 6, 1989

Kathryn was getting worried. She though that Tony would have been over the kiss by now. He still picked her up from school each day. He still laughed and joked with her. The problem wasn't that big of a deal. He kept calling her Kathryn. She hated that more that being called Kitten ever did. The name sounded wrong coming from Tony. It also hurt more that she thought it would.

She had to fix it. Fast.

That night she went over to Tony's house with a movie (she made sure that it was high on romance) and a pint of mint chocolate chip ice cream, which was Tony's favorite. She didn't have much a plan. So all she could do was hope that it worked.

She cuddled into Tony's side before the opening credits even started. That was normal for the two them when they watched movies together. Tony stiffened at first but relaxed when she handed him a spoon.

About halfway through the movie the ice cream was gone and Tony's arm was draped over Kathryn's shoulders. Kathryn was smiling as she cuddled even closer. She sighed happily that he didn't stiffen again.

The movie ended faster than they wanted. Kathryn had to go home as soon as it was over. Tony walked her outside and pressed her against the front door when it closed and attacked her lips with his own. He didn't care that it was below freezing and he wasn't wearing a coat. The cold didn't bother him. He just wanted to kiss her again. Kathryn wrapped her arms around his neck. They didn't know how long they were like that but they were both out of breath by the time they broke apart.

"I have to go."

"I know." He kissed her again. "Go out with me tomorrow night."

"As a date?" She already knew the answer but she had to hear it from him.

"Might as well call it that. If I'm going to keep kissing you then it would only be proper that we were dating." He was about to kiss her again when...

"Tony, get in the house now. It's freezing out there."

"Coming Dad!" He kissed her one last time before letting her go.

Jethro was waiting for him on the other side of the door when he came back inside. He was smirking and for Tony that was never a good sign.

"You know, that shade of red really isn't your color."

Tony's hand went straight to his lips. His finger was covered with Kathryn's lipstick.

"I gotta go." He practically flew to his bedroom.

"No running in the house." But his laughter told Tony that he wasn't in trouble.

Saturday January 7, 1989

In Tony's defense, it wasn't his fault that their date was horrible. Not even Jethro's gut would have been able to predict human behavior on this level. And he definitely couldn't have predicted mechanical failure.

The evening started out just as Tony planned, he picked Kathryn up at her and Gwen's apartment. After that everything fell apart. A bunch of students from Tony's classes at GWU were in line in front of them at the movie theater. One of them thought that it was ok for him to flirt with Kathryn when he was standing right there with an arm wrapped around her waist. Thankfully, Kathryn wasn't flirting back. Tony glare at the older boy with Gibbs' glare number 5, intimidating but that threatening.

Five minutes into the movies the screen went blank and the lights were turned back on. Next thing he knew he was in line again so that he could get a full refund for the missed show.

Tony then Kathryn to a simple but somewhat classy Italian restaurant. Kathryn seemed to like the place but it was just their luck that a busboy tripped and covered the of them with marinara sauce. The manager apologized to them and gave them a free meal.

It was still early when they were done eating. They didn't want to go home yet but Tony was pretty certain that not even a gas station would let them in when the were still covered in sauce. Tony pulled into an empty parking lot. They really didn't have any other choices.

"Even though this is a terrible first date, I'm having fun."

"Terrible isn't the word I would have used," said Tony sourly.

"It wasn't that bad. We just need to work on it for the next time we go out."

He leaned over and kissed her. He reached up for the zipper of her coat. She pulled back uncertain to what Tony was doing. "Just your coat, Kitten, I promise. It's too bulky." She nodded her consent and allowed him to take it off. He put his hands on her back and kept them there. He kissed her deeply, pulling her as close as her could get her.

Soon enough the smell of marinara sauce got to them. Tony brought Kathryn home and gave her one last kiss before he let her go.

Shannon and Jethro were watching the news when Tony got home... an hour earlier than he said her would. Shannon took one look at Tony and started laughing.

Sunday January 15, 1989

Tony and Kathryn were already celebrating Kathryn's seventeenth birthday. Tony made a trip to the same jewelry shop he got Kelly's strawberry the day before. He knew that it was early in their relationship to get her jewelry but they had been friends for five months so it should be ok for him to get her something fancy.

Kathryn wanted to go ice skating instead of having a regular party. Tony, being the loyal boyfriend, had no choice in the matter. He was skating whether or not he knew how. It was Kathryn's birthday so she could do whatever she wanted as long as it was legal.

Tony managed to stay up right for a whole five minutes before falling over for the first time. After ending up on the floor eight more times he went over to the wall. He held on tight so that he wouldn't fall again.

"You must really like her if you're willing to suffer the humiliation that she's putting you through."

He was surprised to see Coral standing next to him. "She's worth it."

Coral's expression changed to shock. "You're in love with her."

"We've only been dating for a week!"

"Yeah, but you've seen or talked to her practically every day since July. You are in love." She saw the look in his eye and changed to subject. "Anyways, that isn't why I came over here. I just want you to know that I don't hate you anymore."

"Why did you even hate me in the first place."

Coral thought it over before answering. She looked in his eyes and said, "I don't know."

Three hours later Kathryn was finally ready to leave. It probably would have taken longer if Tony hadn't reminded her that she she still had presents to open. Being the boyfriend had some perks. He was allowed to give her his present first. Tony didn't bother wrapping the tiny box. Instead, there was a bow tied around it. Kathryn carefully opened it. She gasped when she saw what was inside. Her fingers delicately touched the piece of jewelry before she snapped the box shut.

"I can't accept this." She tried to give it back to Tony.

"Yes, you can." He pushed her hand out of the way.

"It's too much."

"No it isn't."

"Tony..." His name came out as a growl.

"Kitten..."

"I'm not taking it."

"If you don't I'll just get you diamonds for Valentine's Day."

"You wouldn't!" Tony only stared her down. "OK, you would." She finally accepted the gift.

"Now that you're done fighting like an old married couple, can you tell us what he gave you?" asked Samantha.

Kathryn opened the box and showed it to the others. Alex let out a snort.

"All that over a charm bracelet."

Sunday January 29, 1989

Kelly and Maddie sat quietly as they watched Tony. He hadn't moved in at least three minutes. They didn't want to break his concentration but it was starting to get ridiculous. He finally moved.

"King me."

"Aren't you supposed to let us win?" asked Maddie.

"And what would that accomplish? It might make you feel good about yourself for a little while but it doesn't say anything about you skill level. I've been playing checkers for longer than you two have been alive. I should be better at this game than you."

"You're trying to help us by beating us," said Kelly smartly. Maddie didn't like the sound to that. She just wanted to win.

"Can we play poker instead?" Maddie asked this with a straight face

"As weird as that sounded coming from a five-year-old, sure. I'll go get the pretzels."

Two hours later when Shannon and Jethro arrived home, Tony was down to eight pretzels, Kelly had three, and Maddie had over fifty. None of them wanted to know where she learned how to play so well.

Friday February 3, 1989

Shannon had never seen Tony so happy. He may not be the popular person around but he had real friends. Tony was finally starting to realize that.

She liked having Tony's friends around the house. It gave her the chance to watch Tony when during his most relaxed moments... something she still had trouble with once in a while with her and Jethro. Right now he was laughing at a story that Alex was telling.

It was an odd group of friends. Mostly likely they never would have met or been as close as they are if it weren't for Tony. They didn't even go to the same school. In fact, they were rivals. However, unusual circumstances brought them together and they made it work.

Despite his near friendless past, Tony was the leader of the group. None of them realized it yet. Tony just had this vibe about him that makes you want to follow him, that no matter what happens he deserves your loyalty. He was like Jethro in that way.

Alexander Hayes, dark haired and blue eyed, was the perfect second. He was ready to defend Tony's back against anything that threatens him... even if that meant defending him from others in the group. Alex and Tony also had a lot in common, including the fact they were both star players.

Kathryn's place was obvious even before she and Tony started dating and that was to be at his side. She was his queen. That didn't mean Tony dominated her. They were equals, which is something that he couldn't have learned from his father. That made Shannon proud that Tony learned to respect women from her and Jethro.

Coral Lester's role confused Shannon. The girl was half Australian, meaning even after living in the States with her American mom she was still considered to exotic by her public school peers. She could have easily started her own clique but she chooses to be a follower. Coral was a strong ally to have but Shannon didn't want to know what happens to those that cross her.

Samantha Chapman was head cheerleader but she didn't fit the mold of the typical cheerleader. She had a compassion for others that was only out shone by Kathryn. Sam's blonde hair and sparkling brown eyes made her the physical opposite of Alex. Other than that they complimented each other. While they weren't dating, Shannon suspected that they would be soon.

The Hayes twins, Andrew and Randell, had their own group of friends but were much more loyal to Alex and Tony. Being two years younger than the others made them easy targets for teasing. They took the harassment good stride. Andy was more playful than his twin and had no problem giving back as much he takes. Randy was the most serious in the group. He would make a good accountant one day... not that Shannon would tell him that. It would be too weird.

* * *

"Are you going to tell us why we are doing this?" hissed Coral.

"Mom keeps watching us. The weird thing is whenever she looks at Randy it's the same look she give our accountant."

"I did not need to know that," gripped Randy.

"None of us needed to know that," added Samantha.

"You have an accountant?" asked Alex bewildered.

"Can you guys focus?" snapped Kathryn. "We don't want her to notice that we are playing with her."

Tony laughed at his friends antics. He was only doing this to test if they really were his friends. By helping him they were proving that they would do anything for him.

"Hey Tony, it doesn't take that much focus to play follow the leader."

Friday February 10, 1989

Buying your girl a Valentine's Day gift is the hardest thing any male has to do. It was no different for one Leroy Jethro Gibbs. He had been with Shannon since 1976. After marrying her in 1982 buying gifts only got harder. Shannon was in want for nothing. She wasn't much of a jewelry person and flowers didn't seem to be enough.

It didn't help that Tony was probably going to get Kathryn the perfect gift.

Though the boy did look absolutely clueless. Jethro almost felt sorry for him... almost. He had to learn the horrors of Valentine's Day the same way as everyone else. That didn't mean he couldn't help Tony and point him in the right direction with a few home truths. First of all, he had to keep things simple. Nice doesn't mean extravagant. Second, go with what Kathryn like. She won't be happy in an over priced restaurant. And three, make sure you are both comfortable with your surroundings. You won't have fun if you're tense.

They both looked around the store and met at the front when they found everything they needed.

Tuesday February 14, 1989

Jethro needed everything to be perfect. Shannon deserved that at the very least. The kids were gone and that gave him the time to make sure that he could wow his wife. He took pleasure that he could make his wife with the smallest of gestures.

He knew that Shannon didn't want to be showered with gifts. It wasn't her style. So he told her that he was going to make her dinner... not something that he usually did. He made a lasagne, one of the few meals that her knew how to make. He also made a salad and pulled out some red wine. While he wasn't a big fan of wine he knew Shannon enjoyed it on occasion.

The center piece was his gift to her. It wasn't much but when he saw Shannon's smile he knew that he she liked it. He took that as a good sign.

"Chocolate roses Jethro."

"Yup and dozen of them."

"One for every Valentine's we've known each other."

* * *

Tony arrived at Kathryn's just as it turned seven 'o clock. He wasn't sure about what he had planned but he followed all of his dad's advice for him.

He handed her the chocolate rose and teddy bear that he bought for her. He wasn't sure if Kathryn was trying to hold back her laughter or not. She did thank him before she took them to her room to keep them safe. She was positive that Gwen would eat the rose if she left it out. On the way to the restaurant she asked Tony why he chose chocolate instead of a real flower.

"Dad got Mom chocolate, Kitten. I thought it was a good idea." Kathryn thought that it was cute and sweet that Tony was copying his dad. She knew that Jethro was a good man and if grew to be half the man Jethro was he would a good man as well.

Kathryn laughed when she saw what restaurant Tony brought her to. It was the same one they went on their first date. He promised that they wouldn't be drenched in marinara sauce this time. Tony some how got a corner booth for them that gave them a little privacy. There was also less of a chance for them to be in the path of clumsy busboys.

Later, after dinner, Tony drove them to a nearby park. Kathryn ran off before Tony even had the chance to turn off the ignition. He chased after her as soon as he put his keys in his pocket. He laughed when he saw that she was heading for the swings. Her eyes lit up as she sat down on the closest swing.

"Push me, Tony. Show me that I can fly!"

Tony pushed her as high as he could. It surprised him that she suddenly jumped off. The landing wasn't what he would call graceful and when she didn't get up right away it scared him. He rushed to her side only to find her shaking in laughter. Glad to find that she was alright, he kissed her tenderly on the lips.

"Don't do that again, Kitten. I don't like seeing someone I love getting hurt." Tony didn't realize what he said until he heard her gasp. " I mean..."

"I love you too, Tony." She couldn't stop smiling.

* * *

Alex looked up from the slice of cherry pie á la mode that he was sharing with Samantha. He couldn't help but notice how sad she was. He really liked her but he wasn't sure if she would want to at least try to date him. She probably had swarms of boys going after her and was having a hard time choosing which one she wanted. She would be better off being with someone from her own school. They were rivals. Dating would be a huge taboo considering that he was on the basketball team and she was a cheerleader. He had to find out why she was with him.

"Why are you here with me?"

She smiled at him indulgently. "I have no where better I need to be."

Alex didn't understand what she meant by that. Surly she had someone to be her Valentine. "I don't believe you."

"Then that's your problem. You don't have to believe me. Maybe I'm hanging out with you because you know where to find the best pie DC has to offer." She took another bite of cherry. "This is really good pie. I don't usually get to eat it."

"You're with me because of pie?" That bewildered Alex even more.

"Maybe. Or maybe I am with you because I think you are fun."

"Tony's fun. But you're not with him right now." He made his point but didn't see the flaw in his logic.

"Kathryn would kill me if I took Tony away from her on Valentine's Day. Actually, I think Tony would kill me first and not leave any evidence. Out of all of us, I bet Tony could get away with it."

"That is a bit morbid coming from a cheerleader."

"But very true. And just because I'm a cheerleader doesn't mean that I not in touch with reality. Back to the point, I don't want to be with Tony. He needs Kathryn."

"You still haven't told me why you are with me."

"I really don't have a reason. I just like you..."

Alex didn't let her finish what she was saying before he pecked her lips.

Monday February 20, 1989

Tony stared up at the full moon, hoping that it would give him some answers. The future was starting to look a little uncertain. He wasn't sure what he was going to do with his degree once he finished it. There was another semester of classes that he needed to take to get enough credits to graduate as a senior, but after that he didn't know what to do with his life.

Most of his peers and professors thought he was going straight into law school as soon as he could. That was the last thing he wanted. He didn't have anything against lawyers, he just didn't want to be one. Sitting behind a desk all day wasn't the kind of career he saw himself doing for the rest of his life. It took more than a likable personality and a strong will to stand up in court.

Others thought that he would become a profiler. He did have a knack for delving into the minds of the most twisted of criminal minds. They didn't know that it was because it helped that he lived with one of those criminals. Those people who thought they knew him would cringe if they knew the things that he knew and lived through.

Some people expected him to enter FLETC as one of the youngest trainees to walk through it doors. He wasn't sure if he wanted to take that path yet. Maybe one day when he was a little older he would be able to see himself as Special Agent Tony Gibbs. Just not yet. Plus, he wanted to wait until his reputation died down a little. Agent Phelps told him that agencies from the FBI up to the CIA and NSA knew about him and wanted him. They would see having him in their agency as an asset. He didn't want to live like that. He wanted to be more than just an asset. Tony Gibbs was a legend and that wasn't something he needed when he was so young.

The moon wasn't going to give him the answers that he desperately needed. However, it did give him something to look at while he processed his thoughts.

A/N special brownie points for those who can guess where I got the name for Alex's character. Think late 1980's American TV. Mark Harmon was in four episodes but it isn't Mark's character.


	9. March, April, May 1989

CBS and Paramount Pictures own NCIS.

You're to Blame

**You are to blame for anything that is good in my heart. You are to blame for this change that has taken me by storm. - Mercy Me**

Chapter Nine – March 1989 – May 1989

Monday March 6, 1989

Spring was already on everyone's minds. Shannon was making plans for the backyard. She wanted to plant a few bushes around the fence. It would help her keep her mind off the fact that Jethro was gone on another training mission and wouldn't be back for two months. It was the first time he left since that concussion that nearly killed him. She didn't even know where Jethro was and mail wasn't likely going to be permitted very often.

There was once again a calender taped up in Kelly's room that counted down to the day that Jethro would be coming home. She missed her daddy terribly and wanted him back home. The fact that she knew exactly when he was coming home only alleviated the longing for him just a little.

Tony did his best to keep them distracted. As the man of the house it was his job to make sure that the girls were happy. He felt like he was failing miserable. He wasn't Jethro no matter how hard he tried. It wasn't him that Shannon and Kelly needed. He was still wanted; no one could deny that. He was wanted when Kelly couldn't fall asleep or when Shannon needed someone to talk to about what she should do with the yard.

Six days have passed since Jethro left. Everyday went by the same as it had the pass nine months, school, homework, spending time with friends and Kathryn, learning about life from Shannon.

But there was no working on the boat.

Tony spent an hour a day in the basement trying to figure out how Jethro was going to get it out. It looked like it should be impossible but Jethro assured him that it was. He'll only believe it when he sees it.

Kelly would join him on some nights. She stayed on the bottom step, just watching Tony as he wandered around looking for clues. There was always an amused smile on her face that was remarkably similar to Shannon's.

"You're not going to figure out how daddy's going to get it out."

"What makes you say that Squirt?" He picked her up and threw her on his shoulder as he went back upstairs.

"Because you're not."

"Do you how?"

"I'm five, Tony." She said it as though it explained everything and in a way it did.

Friday March 17, 1989

Kelly wasn't singing. As annoying as it was, Tony was beginning to miss it. Tony knew there had to be new songs. Easter was only nine days away. He came up with a plan to get her to sing again. It was only slightly less embarrassing than the Christmas sweater. If he planned it right Kelly would be his only witness. He sat at the piano and started to play. She could never resist the piano, except for when he played _Piano Man. _She had never liked that song for some reason. Tony smiled when she sat down next to him. The words to _Here Comes Peter Cottontail _were soon flowing from her mouth. Little did know Shannon was watching them... and had a camcorder.

"Sing a long, Sweetie. You have such an amazing voice."

"Mom! Turn off the camera!" He was begging and didn't care.

"Please Tony," pouted Kelly.

"Fine. One verse from the top." Once more the lyrics to _Peter Cottontail _filled the house.

Sunday March 19, 1989

For many college students Spring Break meant Florida, hot parties, and a lot of alcohol. For Tony it meant Washington DC, spending as much time as he could with friends and family, and lemonade. He didn't mind. Shannon made really good lemonade. It was only one more thing that made him different from his classmates.

It was also the first time he had seen Jeremy since June. He brought his daughter, Kristina, along with him. The baby was only two months old and Jeremy looked as though he hadn't slept for just as long. Shannon took pity on him and allowed him a few hours sleep even though she didn't like him much before making him explain why he was in Washington.

The story was pretty tragic. Kristina's mother died giving birth. Her body couldn't handle the strain it was forced into. Her family blamed Jeremy and turned on him and the baby. His own family quickly disowned him when they found out that he accepted Kristina was his and was going to raise her on his own.

He arrived in Washington the week before and managed to get a job and a really small apartment.

"Kristina doesn't have anyone but me. So I was hoping that you would be her godfather, Tony."

"You're not planning on dumping that little girl on Tony the moment he turns eighteen, are you?" asked Shannon suspiciously.

"No! I love Kristina. I wouldn't give her up for the world. I just want know that she'll be taken care of should something happen to me."

"Why me?"

"You're the only one who saw our society for what it is."

"I'll do it."

"Tony, are your sure about this?" asked Shannon softly.

"You what will happen to Kristina if something happens to Jeremy. She'll be put into the system. You didn't let that happen to me and I won't let that happen to her. I have to do it Mom. Please trust me on this one."

Saturday March 25, 1989

Easter had never been a big deal for Tony. Sure the candy was great but that was all it had going for it. The only thing that was different at the mansion were the lilies that filled every vase instead of the usual roses and baby's breath.

Once again Shannon proved to be different. One of her traditions was dying hard-boiled eggs. Tony had never done anything like that before and the idea intrigued him. According to Shannon, a lot of people colored their own eggs. He had to admit that the task was pretty interesting. However, he couldn't picture Kelly eating a hard-boiled egg.

Sunday March 26, 1989

Kelly woke at a more reasonable time than she did at Christmas Tony was just coming back from his morning run when she entered the living room. There were three baskets; one for Kelly that had a large pink bunny, Tony had a blue bunny, and Shannon had a yellow duck. Tony was unsure about getting a cuddle toy. He was too old for something like that.

Much of the candy was different from what he remembered. There was the chocolate bunny and jellybeans but there was also pink animal shaped candies that he didn't recognize. So he poked it.

"What is that?"

Shannon gave him a strange look. "It's a Peep." Tony gave her a blank stare in return. He needed a better explanation than that. "A sugar coated marshmallow with sugar eyes." She thought that everyone knew what Peeps were. She couldn't imagine Easter without them. Then Tony poked the Peep again. "It's good. Very unhealthy, but good."

* * *

Kelly was waiting anxiously for the Master Sargent to blow his whistle. She was finally old enough to participate in the Easter Egg Hunt. No one under the age of five could join in. Bouncing around in excitement was a natural reaction. Besides, even the seven-year-olds were bouncing a little.

Her Gibbs trained eyes had already spotted three eggs. As soon as the whistle sounded she ran toward the one that was closest to her. She put the bright green egg in her basket and ran off toward the next one. After snatching the third she scanned the area again finding some more eggs. Soon her basket was overflowing with large plastic brightly colored eggs.

The rules stated that the type of prize a child won depended on how many eggs they found. There were 200 eggs hidden throughout the park and the children had an hour to find them all. The kid with the most eggs would win a brand new bike. Kelly really wanted the bike. She was far too big for the one that was currently sitting in the garage.

The Master Sargent in charge took a look at Kelly with wide eyes when he saw her coming back. She was struggling to keep the eggs from falling out of her skirt. He already knew that she would be the winner. The eggs still had to be counted and he was surprised to find that she had found forty-seven. In the three years that he ran the Easter Egg Hunt he had never had a kid find that many.

* * *

Kathryn hated the disdainful glares she had been getting from all the Marines' wives. She was holding Kristina so Jeremy could have a break. Keeping her in the carrier for hours on end seemed to be a bit cruel.

She heard some of the older women talking about her, saying horrible things about teen mothers. She wanted to tell them that she wasn't Kristina's mother and even if she was they had no right to judge her. But she held her tongue... for now.

It was lucky that Tony hadn't noticed anything was wrong. He probably would have caused a scene and yelled at those awful women. Kathryn didn't want that. She had to take of this in her way.

As they were leaving the park, Kelly's new bike balancing on his shoulder, Kathryn saw the women who were insulting her. She approached them without a second thought. It was a good thing that she had been taught to always speak her mind.

"You know, before you go off insulting and belittling people you don't know, I think you should get all of your facts straight first. First, that is not my baby. She belongs to him." She pointed sharply and Jeremy. "Second, it is quite impossible for me to be anyone's mother much less to her since I only meet her this morning. And third, everyone makes mistakes. Even though he can't fix his mistake, he is doing everything that he can to make sure that she doesn't become the biggest one he ever made. I think that by loving her, which isn't something every parent does, is the best thing he can do right now. The best thing you 'ladies' can do is remove those sticks before they get lodged. I hear that can get to be slightly uncomfortable."

Saturday April 1, 1989

It's been a month since Shannon had heard from her husband. She had suffered from a communication blackout before but not for this long. She missed Jethro dearly and she knew that the kids missed him just as much. Sometimes she got the feeling that Tony might be missing Jethro even more than she was.

Tony was great with Kelly. He constantly was keeping her distracted. Sometimes it didn't work. As much as Kelly loved her older brother, he wasn't her daddy. From the day that she was born it was obvious that she was a daddy's girl through and through. She wouldn't let any man hold her except for Jethro. She would always fuss if it was someone else. He used to joke how she must like the scent of sawdust. But as time went by that proved to be true.

It seem that he took the long absence the hardest. He put up a good front, always having a huge grin on his face, but it was obvious that he wanted his dad, Shannon saw Tony head slapping himself enough times to prove that. And even though he didn't have to, he went on that run every morning. It was something that only he shared with Jethro. Shannon suspected it made him feel connected to his dad on some level that she would never understand.

Shannon was worried that Tony would start to feel abandoned if Jethro was gone for too long. But so far he was OK that he wasn't around. It may have had something to do with the fact that Jethro had never lied to Tony. He just didn't have it in him to lie to the boy.

Thursday April 6, 1989

Tony figured out that he needed to take several more classes before he could graduate. Math and science were never his strongest subjects in school, but now he was trying to figure out which of the forensic classes he wanted to take. Homicide Investigation would be a class that he would probably need if he ever decided that he wanted to follow through with using his degree. Photography of Crime Scenes was an obvious choice and probably the easiest of the forensic classes. He was certain that he could get into the Firearms class. Hopefully his GPA would make up for his youth.

Biology and chemistry weren't even being considered as options. It wasn't that he would do bad in those courses he just going to leave it for those that were studying to be actual forensic scientists. Shannon taught him that he didn't need to learn everything.

He wished that he could take a few physical education classes. Team sports were one of the things that he missed the most. Playing with Alex and his friends wasn't the same as being as on a team. There was a certain thrill that only playing on an organized team could give him.

Saturday April 8, 1989

It was now Shannon's birthday. Shopping for her was always going to be difficult for Tony. He thought about going to Gwen for help but she was always busy. Kathryn only saw her at breakfast if she were lucky.

He didn't know Alex's mom well enough to ask for her help. Also he doubted that Mrs. Hayes would have been any help... she was more than a little eccentric.

Shannon had already told him that she didn't want or expect him to make dinner... though one of his chocolate cakes would be more than welcomed. It was amazing that Tony could make a better cake than she could. He didn't make them lopsided anymore either, which was a plus in Kelly's eyes since she very particular about her cake.

Sneaking out of the house was the easy part. Getting back in without Shannon noticing her gift was a lot harder. How he got by without a little sister for so long was beyond him. She was the perfect distraction as long as he wanted Shannon to be distracted for about five minutes.

"Where have you been, young man?" He was busted.

"Nowhere."

"Tony..." The tone she used was nearly as intimidating as Jethro's.

"Fine. Follow me and I'll show you."

She followed him out to the garage. It was almost impossible not to laugh when she saw the car but Shannon didn't want to hurt Tony's feelings. It really was a nice thin for him to do. Tires weren't that cheep and Jethro hadn't let him take that much out of his account before he left.

"You got me new tires?"

Monday April 10, 1989

"You got your mom tires for her birthday?" asked Kathryn as she stole a fry from his plate.

"Why does everyone keep asking me that question that way?"

"What way?"

"Like they are ready to start laughing."

"You got your mom tires for her birthday."

"So? The old ones were going bald. She was going to need some eventually. I was being practical."

"OK Tony, I'm sure you thought it was a sweet gesture. Just never buy me tires for my birthday."

"Yes, Kitten."

Friday April 28, 1989

He dropped his heavy duffel bags outside the perpetually unlocked door. It was still early and only one who was likely to be awake at this hour was Tony. Looking at the clock in the hall told him that the teen wasn't going to be leaving for another ten minutes. He arrived just in time.

"Dad!" yelled Tony. Jethro pulled him into a hug. "You're finally home."

Jethro chuckled. "I'm three days early."

"Early? You're not hurt again are you? The last time you came home early you had a concussion. No ones trying to kill us again? Are they?" Tony rambled.

"Everything is fine. The mission ended sooner than we thought it would. Now, go wake your sister while I get Shannon."

Jethro entered his and Shannon's room as quietly as he possibly could. Two months was far too long to be away from her. He smiled when he saw that her face was buried in his pillow. He bent over her and kissed her awake. Her eyes slowly fluttered open. She squealed in a Kelly-like fashion and her arms found themselves wrapped around Jethro.

"What are you doing home so early?" She was beyond thrilled that he was back.

"Can't you just be happy that I'm here?" he teased. He knew that she was counting down the days before he returned just like the kids were. Having a husband that left for months on end never got easier no matter how many times he left.

Just then Tony came in, interrupting them with a fake cough. Kelly was still sleeping in his arms. "I tried to wake her but I don't think that she cares all that much that you are home." He honestly didn't try to hard to wake her. Kelly would much rather wake to the scent of sawdust that seemed to follow Jethro wherever he went. Jethro knew what Tony had in mind and took the little girl form him. She began to stir once the scent reached her nose.

"Daddy, it's too early to be awake. Can you come back later?" She cuddled up closer to him. Then she realized what she said. "Daddy! You're home. I missed you so much."

"Well, at least someone did."

"Aw Dad, you know that I missed you. It's so boring to go running without you." A sparkle of humor could be seen in Tony's bright green eyes. Jethro dropped Kelly on the bed next to Shannon.

"Is that all I'm good for? A running buddy?" He tackled Tony to the bed so that they were all lying in it. The two girls laughed at Tony and Jethro as they wrestled. They quickly climbed out of the bed to give them more room. Tony couldn't help but laugh.

Wednesday May 3, 1989

For Tony, school was ending in just a few short weeks. He was confident that he was going to get top grades. He gradually went over everything that he had learned just to make sure that he hadn't forgotten anything. As far as he was concerned there was no need to worry about his exams.

Kelly was happy that school was almost over. She enjoyed her kindergarten and seeing her friends everyday but she liked spending time with her family more. The entire class was getting ready for 'graduation'. That meant more annoying songs. Tony hid in his room when she was practicing. Though he didn't make it obvious that he was hiding. He really did have a mountain of homework that he had to get through.

Shannon was planning another trip to Virginia Beach for that summer. They hadn't gone horseback riding since the previous fall and she knew that both of her kids would enjoy it. Also with Tony turning eighteen in a few months she was sure how much time she would have with him. She was well aware of the fact that he could move out and buy his own house as soon as his birthday passed. She wasn't ready to give him up yet. He belonged to her and Jethro.

Sunday May 14, 1989 (Mother's Day)

Shannon woke to the scent of carnations that morning. There was a small bouquet next to her head. It was so much better than the dandelions that she got last year... bless Tony and his ability to talk Kelly into anything. Her bed smelled like dandelions for weeks after Kelly practically buried her in them the year before. While carnations weren't her favorite they were better than the alternative.

She heard noises coming from downstairs and knew that the kids were making breakfast. She could smell bacon and eggs. She knew that Tony could handle that as long as Kelly stayed out of the way. She did tend to get in the way.

When Shannon came down she noticed that there were more carnations set on the table. Three white carnations and a red one. She knew the symbolism behind the flowers but she had no idea how Tony how Tony knew. Though it might be likely that a former nanny had him bring white carnations to his mother's grave. His father didn't seem like the type to mourn his late wife.

"Morning, mom." Tony placed a kiss on her cheek as he placed a plate of food in front of her. The gesture surprised her. Tony rarely showed his affectionate side with her. Maybe she didn't have to worry about losing him anytime soon. He still needed her.

"Mommy, look what I made you!" Kelly showed her a card that she made at school. The painting on the front looked a lot like a carnation.

"It's wonderful, Kelly. Did you do this all by yourself?"

"No, Tony told me that I should paint a car'ation. He showed me how."

"Did he now? Well, you did a very good job on this." Shannon gave Tony a look that said that he had to explain all the carnations later.

She opened the card and wasn't surprised to see the words 'Happy Mother's Day' painted sloppily in nearly too big lettering.

"Thank you, Baby."

Tony then handed her a small box. She refrained from making a jokes about tires. Her eyes lit up when she saw the vases. One was pink, one was blue, and the other was yellow. On the side each one had a letter that spelled out 'MOM'. She loved them. They were much better than the tires she got for her birthday.

"I know they aren't much but the lady at the gift shop said that she was getting her mom those so I thought that maybe―"

"Sweetie, it's perfect." She pulled him into a one armed hug.

Friday May 26, 1989

Tony was free. Free from studying. Free from books. Free from exams (of which were surprisingly easy). And most importantly, he was free from school... at least he was until August.

Shannon had planned a huge dinner to celebrate. All of Tony's friends were invited. Though everyone except for Jeremy still had school for another two weeks.

"So Gibbs,"said Coral, "now that you only have a semester left in college, what are you going to do for the rest of your life?"

"I don't know. But I think I might join the Marines for a few years."

That answer surprised everyone Tony had never given any indications that he wanted to enter the military.

A/N Congratulations to those whose answered the question from the last chapter. Alexander Hayes is from 'Moonlighting'.

I also have been getting a lot of people asking about Kelly and Shannon's fates. Other than Tony's history this story will be canon. I don't usually give away my plot but I figured that it would be easier to just tell you guys out right than to have to repeat myself for each reviewer or PM.

And speaking of reviews... they equal love and possibly more imaginary brownies.


	10. June July 1989

CBS and Paramount Pictures own NCIS.

You're to Blame

**You are to blame for anything that is good in my heart. You are to blame for this change that has taken me by storm. - Mercy Me**

Chapter Ten – June 1989 – July 1989

Friday June 2, 1989

Kelly was finally free from kindergarten. That meant Tony was finally free from songs that made absolutely no sense to him. First grade would do the girl some good. She was actually chosen to give the class speech... much like a valedictorian. Shannon got the whole thing on tape. It was cute but Tony was glad he didn't have to live through that every year. Actually, Kelly was glad that she didn't have to do that every year. She still wasn't the best at reading so the speech had to be memorized. While she was at the podium she was afraid that she was going to forget what she had to say.

Now that both of them were out of school Shannon and Jethro were making more permanent vacation plans for Virginia Beach. Tony was excited that he was going to see the horses again but didn't like the fact that he was going have to leave Kathryn behind for a week. He couldn't even make a phone call to her. He tried to convince them to bring her with them but they said that the vacation was for only those that had the last name Gibbs. Tony tried to use that logic against them and said that they should invite Grandpa Jackson along. That only earned him a head slap. Jethro really wasn't amused by that comment.

This would be Tony's first real vacation since the 'Hawaii incident' back in December of 1981. He still hadn't forgiven his father for leaving him in that hotel. Tony never mentioned 'incident' to his parents but he couldn't imagine them leaving him... or Kelly... alone for three days. Though hotels did make him uncomfortable once in a while.

Kelly told him all about last years vacation. They took it about a week before they had all met that fateful afternoon. She told about how she won a race against Jethro along the beach. Tony thought that he most likely let her win but it sounded nice. She also mentioned swimming in the ocean. He couldn't remember the last time he went swimming just for fun.

But not once did Kelly mention being forgotten or left behind. Not once did it seem like she felt as though she were an inconvenience. In all likelihood, Kelly Gibbs would never feel that way. Tony Gibbs was determined to never feel like that again.

Monday June 5, 1989

The car was packed and nearly everyone was ready to go. Apparently Jethro's plan to leave after his and Tony's run backfired. Kathryn had showed up early to say goodbye to Tony. That was twenty minutes ago. They really had to get on the road if they were going to get to the hotel on time. By this time Tony was really testing Jethro's patience. He understood the boy liked her but now wasn't the time for long goodbyes. He jumped out of the car, pulled Tony away from Kathryn bye the cuff of his neck, and threw him into the backseat next to Kelly. When Jethro got back into the car only thirty seconds had passed.

"Was that necessary?" asked Tony.

"Yes!" rang out three voices. That caused Tony to pout.

"It's only cute when I do that," said Kelly innocently.

Instead of responding Tony took out a book.

Tony couldn't believe how many people were already on the beach. He knew that it would be busy but not like this. Shannon and Kelly were unfazed by the crowd and while Jethro looked a little uncomfortable he seemed to know that it was going to be there.

Shannon had taken them out for lunch before telling them the schedule for the day. It actually wasn't much of a schedule considering all she had planned for them to do is to play on the beach. Tony was OK with that. He felt like being lazy for once. He took out the book he had been reading in the car and sat down next to Kelly who was digging. Neither of them knew or wanted to know where Shannon and Jethro were.

Tony was nearly done with his book when he heard Kelly calling for him. At first she didn't see her and started to panic but then he found her in a giant hole that she had dug.

"What did you do?" asked Tony as he lifted her out of the hole.

"I dug a hole," she this in a 'isn't that obvious' kind of way.

"Yes, I can see that." He knew that he had to fill it before someone fell in and got hurt. Fortunately Jethro appeared carrying a couple of shovels. He gave one to Tony without giving Kelly a second glance. He knew that this was going to happen.

"Maddie told Kelly that if she dug a deep enough hole she would be able to reach China. That girl is a really bad influence."

Wednesday June 7, 1989

Jethro had rented a boat for the day. This was first time he did this since Kelly was born. The rental company had a policy about having children under a certain weight on their boats. Until recently Kelly was too small to be allowed on.

The whole family was excited to go out on the ocean. Tony was begging to be given the chance to drive. Jethro told him that the boat they rented was a lot more sensitive that any yacht. After an hour of Tony badgering him, Jethro handed over the helm. The kid handled the boat like a pro. Jethro should have known that would happen. He still hadn't found anything that Tony couldn't do well other than math and science. There was a look of pure joy on Tony's face. He controlled his speed enough that he could feel the rush of adrenaline but also he made sure he went slow enough that Kelly didn't fly over the edge.

Friday June 9, 1989

It was late afternoon when the horses were finally available. Shannon couldn't tell who was happier to be riding again, Kelly or Tony. They went to the same horses they had last time. Jethro did tell them that it was better to ride a horse that they were familiar with.

Tony patted his horse before clumsily climbing on. He tried to copy Jethro's movements but proved that it wasn't possible for him to be that graceful. He did take it as a good sign that he hadn't forgotten anything when he didn't fall off the other side.

He wasn't that surprised that Jethro was waiting for him. They had a lot to talk about and his dad wasn't one to beat around the bush.

"Are you sure that you want to join the Corps?" Blunt was a good thing. It was Jethro's way of showing that he actually cared.

"Yeah, I do. I don't know what I want in life anymore. I thought about going pro football but that isn't going to happen. The Criminology degree was just something to do so that I didn't get bored. I'm not even eighteen yet and I already have a degree and I can keep getting degrees until all of my money runs out. But I don't want to do that. Joining the Corps will give me a chance to think about what I want while still giving me the challenge that I need."

"It won't be easy. You'll be called away from your home, your family at a moments notice. You'll have to take orders and not question them."

"Are you trying to talk me out of this? Because it won't work. I'm told that I can be quite stubborn," joked Tony.

"You want this?"

"I need this," he answered in all seriousness.

"OK."

Monday June 12, 1989

It was hard to believe that a year had passed since Tony had moved in with the Gibbs. Shannon insisted that they went out for dinner to celebrate... until she saw that both Tony and Kelly were covered in red spots. They both had Chickenpox. Though Jethro couldn't understand why Tony didn't have chickenpox as a child.

Shannon had to tape oven mitts to Kelly's hands to stop her from scratching. The little girl hated that she was being spoon fed. The only time the mitts came off was when she was taking baths.

Tony was too tired to scratch. He refused to eat and all he wanted to do was sleep. That really worried Shannon.

Tuesday June 13, 1989

It was just pass one in the morning when Shannon and Jethro heard Tony thrashing around in his bed. He was having a nightmare. He calmed as soon as Jethro held him to his chest. Heat was radiating off from Tony. Shannon managed to get his temperature.

"He's burning up Jethro. You have to get him to the hospital." He gave her a look. "His temperature is at 103. He needs to be cooled down and we can't do that here."

Jethro bundled Tony up in the back of his car. He drove at a normal speed hoping to prevent any nightmares. But that made it seem like forever before they got to Bethesda. Fortunately the parking lot was nearly empty and Jethro was able to to get a spot close to the emergency entrance.

"C'mon son. I need you to walk for me. It's not far. On your feet. That's it."

"Where's Kelly?" he coughed out.

"She at home with your mom."

"My father doesn't have her?" Jethro figured out what the nightmare was about.

"She's safe at home," he reassured Tony.

"I'm tired." With that Tony collapsed in Jethro's arms. He had to drag Tony the rest of the way. He wasn't as light as he was a year ago.

The ER nurse called for a gurney as soon as she saw the state the two of them were in. When he was settled she began taking his vitals.

"Temps at 104.2! Get me a cooling blanket!" yelled the nurse.

Tony tried to push the blanket off the moment the nurse tried to lay it on him. No matter how many times it was placed on Tony, it was pushed off. When Jethro heard the doctor mention a tub he knew it was time for him to interfere. He knew how much Tony hated taking baths.

"Let me try to calm him down before you use the tub. I don't want to use that unless it's a last resort."

"Sir, if he keep rejecting the cooling blanket I won't have a choice."

"I understand that. Just let me try. He can't be put in a bath."

The doctor nodded to the nurse to give Jethro the blanket. He covered Tony again but caught him before he could remove it.

"Dad, it's too cold," Tony complained

"I know son but you have to keep it on if you want to feel better. You have to get better."

"OK, I'll keep it on." Shivering, he went back to sleep.

The doctor placed a saline drip mixed with an antiviral in Tony's left hand because Jethro was holding his right.

* * *

Shannon arrived hours later with a cup of coffee for Jethro. She had to see for herself that Tony was getting better. A phone call wasn't enough when you know she saw the poor condition Tony was in before he left the house.

Even in his sleep, Tony was coughing. The doctors were worried about pneumonia and gave him an oxygen mask to help him breathe. Shannon wasn't told about this and turned on her husband.

"It's a precaution. He's a little trouble breathing. I promise that he's fine."

"I just worry. He's never been sick like this before."

"I know. He just needs to rest and he'll be back to his normal self in no time." Tony called out Kelly's name. He's been doing that ever since they forced to cooling blanket on him. Jethro gripped Tony's hand tighter. "He's fine Shannon. Chickenpox is just not that common in people Tony's age. I won't say that it isn't dangerous but he's getting the best care Washington can provide."

They fell quiet. There wasn't any need to talk. Soon Shannon's soothing hand on Tony's forehead woke him.

"Mom?" He didn't have to open his eyes to know it was her.

"Yeah Sweetie, I'm here."

"Kelly..."

Jethro answered before Shannon could. "Kelly is fine. Your mom just wanted to see you."

"Kathryn is with her. Kelly wanted to come but she's still contagious."

"You can see her once you feel better, ok?"

"OK. My head hurts." It must have been bad because Tony never complained of being pain, not even when he broke his arm.

"I'll go find a doctor to see if they can give you anything. Just try to go back to sleep." She knew that it wasn't likely that they had anything for pain. It wasn't every day a Naval hospital gets someone with chickenpox as a patient. They couldn't just give him aspirin.

Shannon was just about to find someone when the doctor came in. He had to look at Tony's vitals again. His temperature was still a little high but it was no longer reaching critical. He was glad that both of Tony's parents were there.

"Your son had had mild case of viral pneumonia. Don't worry if he starts to cough up small amounts of blood. That is completely normal. It should clear within a day of two with proper medications. Now, how did he get chickenpox in the first place? It is highly unusual for someone his age to contract it."

"His little sister, our daughter, just finished kindergarten. She must have gotten it from someone in her class and passed onto Tony. Kelly is sick right now as well. But he will be fine, right?" asked Shannon.

"He will make a full recovery. Tony is very healthy... other than the chickenpox and pneumonia. You have no reason to worry."

They asked him about getting something for Tony's headache and after the doctor got him a pain reliever that wasn't dangerous Shannon had to leave. It wasn't fair on Kathryn to leave her with Kelly for too long when she's sick.

Friday June 16, 1989

It turned out that everyone in Kelly's kindergarten class had chickenpox at some point since the last week of school. Kelly most likely caught it from Maddie. Though Maddie's mother seemed to think it was the other way around. In the end it didn't matter because both kids were ill.

Kelly wasn't taking being isolated from the rest of the world that hard. Once in awhile she complained about not being allowed to see Kristina. She didn't understand that chickenpox could be fatal to someone that young.

Sunday June 18, 1989 (Father's Day)

Tony was finally allowed out of the hospital. The pneumonia was gone and his fever was at a manageable 99.1 degrees. He was still contagious but chickenpox was the least of the doctors worries. The antiviral did all that it could for Tony.

It always marveled Jethro how different Tony was a year ago. He changed from a shy boy seeking the approval of a man not willing to give to someone with an abundance of confidence in himself and a new faith that he can have parents that actually care about him. He helped do that. He helped someone find a family when that concept was completely foreign to him.

Kelly managed to convince Tony to make a card. He placed it in the same box that held all of the cards Kelly had made him.

Neither Tony nor Kelly were allowed to leave the house. Meaning that they couldn't celebrate Father's Day until they were cleared by Shannon.

Tuesday June 27, 1989

Freedom was something that Tony wasn't going to take advantage of again. Being stuck in bed of any length of time was a horror that he didn't want to experience again any time soon. Having a broken arm was bad but at least he was mobile.

Jethro took them back to the same batting cages he took them he year before for a late Father's Day. They got there early so that they could avoid most of the crowds... meaning high school baseball players.

Tony was excited that he could participate this year. He never felt so normal before. It didn't occur to him how much of an outsider he had felt. Now he couldn't deny that this was where he belonged.

Baseball wasn't his sport. It didn't have enough action for his tastes. However, he could hit a ball with a bat with no trouble. The same couldn't have been said about Kelly. Tony felt pity for his sister each time she swung her bat and missed the ball.

"I think we should just blame mom's lack of athletic ability for this and head for lunch," said Tony as the bat flew out of Kelly's hands. "Maybe next year, if were all together, we should do something less painful to watch."

Tuesday July 4, 1989

Jethro could only hope that this years celebration went better than last years fiasco. The day started out pretty much the same as the last Fourth of July. Though this year Shannon had invited Gwen, Kathryn, Jeremy, and baby Kristina. She didn't invite Jackson much to Tony and Jethro's relief. He was the reason last year was so horrible.

By the time they were done barbequing and were at the park, the Gibbs family were positive that Jackson wasn't coming. Shannon was glad her father-in-law wasn't coming, even though it was a mean to think like that. She did care for him, she just didn't like how he always intentionally made Jethro feel uncomfortable.

Tony, Jeremy, and Kathryn wanted to get away from the adults (and in Jeremy's case, Kristina) for a little while. Considering the trouble that Tony got himself into on a regular basis, Jethro was reluctant to let them go. Shannon, on the other hand, agreed that they should have fun. They wouldn't be far and throwing a Frisbee around wasn't going to attract attention to them from the police.

"And Tony..." started Jethro.

"I know, no GID's."

"What's a GID?" asked Jeremy.

"Geek in distress," answered Kelly before Tony had the chance. "It's kinda like a damsel in distress but with geeks." Jethro gave him a head slap for teaching her that.

* * *

Hours later Kathryn was curled up next to Tony, feeling safer than she had ever felt. She couldn't imagine her life being anymore perfect than it already was.

All of her life she had been pushed from family member to family. That was hard her. She had one desire and that was living in a stable environment. But she had six different homes since she was three-years-old. None of them lasted very long. The longest was when she lived with her grandparents from her mother's side. She probably would still be leaving with them if her grandmother hadn't been diagnosed with dementia. Now she had a place where she fit it, and she had Tony to thank for that.

She put all those thoughts to the side and watched the fireworks.

Saturday July 8, 1989

Tony had mixed feelings about turning eighteen. Before he was adopted it was a milestone toward a freedom that he wasn't that he was ready for. He knew that it would have been the day that he would have been cut off from his father's fortune, including the trust fund that his grandparents had set up for him when he was born. It would have been the day that he was stripped of his identity.

But now he was Tony Gibbs, loved by his family and not just about to be disowned. He didn't need to worry about losing everything.

That didn't stop him worrying. In his heart he knew that Jethro and Shannon were nothing like his father. There was still doubt that they wouldn't cut him off. He knew that they loved him but his father was supposed to love him and that didn't end well.

Shannon had him invite all of his friends. She got him a huge cake that was much larger than the on from the previous year. Jethro let her do it and made sure that she didn't go overboard with everything. These actions melted the last of the doubt that he had. They wouldn't do those things, the things that parents do, unless they wanted to.

"Present time!" yelled Samantha even though everyone was in the same room. It was funny that she was more excited than Tony was.

Shannon handed Tony Kathryn's gift. He stared at it in awe once he opened it. Jethro looked at the gift to Kathryn.

"Is that a Rolex?" he asked astounded.

All Tony could do was nod. His father had a Rolex. It was fancier, more ostentatious was a better word, that the one he currently held. That made the watch so much the better. He loved it.

The rest of of Tony's presents were much smaller, meaning movies and books. Though Jeremy thought that it was funny to get him _Risk_. A game about world domination was apparently something every Marine (or future Marine) needed.

Monday July 10, 1989

Even though he had been planning to do this for months, entering that recruiter's office with his dad by his side was the hardest thing Tony had ever done. It was what he wanted... what he needed.

He knew what he was losing. He saw it every time Jethro had to leave Shannon. Their relationship showed him how he and Kathryn could end up. They were happy for the most part, like all couples that were truly in love. He also knew he a lot to gain as well. Self worth was only one of those things.

Tony spared Jethro one look before turning back to the recruiter.

"Where do I sign."

* * *

They left the recruiter's office an hour later. Jethro's hand was firmly clasped to his son's shoulder. This was something he wished his own dad had done when he told him that he had joined the Marine Corps. Jackson never understood his decision to leave Stillwater. He thought that it was a mistake and made his opinion known very clearly.

He would never do that to Tony, to either of his of his children. They deserved the chance to make their own decisions. They deserved his support no matter what they choose to do with their lives as long as it didn't hurt them.

"You know you are lucky, right?"

"Yeah Dad, I know." He flashed him a smile showing Jethro that he was one of the reasons he was lucky.

* * *

Tony found Kathryn sing on her favorite swing at the park. He fingered to box in his pocket before he approached her. She must have noticed him because she began to slow down. Though the anger in her eyes was obvious.

"Shannon told me where you went today," she said evenly.

"Kitten, I―"

"No, you don't get to day anything. You didn't tell me that you were going to the Corps today!"

"I―"

"Two days ago. That was when you turned eighteen. You're supposed to talk to me about these things. I thought you loved me."

"I do love you!" shouted Tony. "I do love you," he repeated softly.

"Then prove it." The anger in her eyes turned into desperation.

He reached into his pocket and took out the small box. He sighed before he flipped it open. "I got you this."

"That's a...

"Promise ring."

Kathryn squealed when she heard those two words. When she calmed she looked into Tony's eyes. "What exactly are you promising?"

"Look at the inscription and you'll know."

On the inside of the ring were the words _You'll always be my Kitten._

A/N The next chapter will be taking place in right before the Persian Gulf War. Nothing really happens until then.


	11. November 1990 January 1991

CBS and Paramount Pictures own NCIS.

You're to Blame

**You are to blame for anything that is good in my heart. You are to blame for this change that has taken me by storm. - Mercy Me**

I ask my faithful and loving readers read 'And I Can Fly' before they read this chapter. It isn't important but this chapter has a few spoilers for that story.

Chapter Eleven – November 1990-January 1991

Thursday November 3, 1990

Kuwait. It was the last place Jethro wanted to go. All that he really knew about the tiny country was that it was in the Middle East and that there was likely to be a lot of sand. From what he gathered from the news they had been at war with Iraq since August.

And today he got word that he was shipping out on the eighth. There was no telling when he would get back. He hated those kinds of assignments. They were torture on his girls. They were torture on him because he didn't know when he would see his family again.

At least Tony wasn't going to be part of the war. The newly minted Corporal Tony Gibbs was far too young to be in a war. Sadly though there likely will be many other his age and younger in his place. However with his expertise, putting Tony in a war zone wouldn't do anyone any good. It was like putting an assassin behind a desk, it just didn't make any sense. He was better off staying where he was relatively safe.... like Germany.

It was unlikely he that he wasn't going to be involved with the war at all. Every soldier and sailor is involved, even if that just meant that a friend has been called to be shipped out to a country they probably never even heard of.

Tony's expertise is gathering information. In the best case scenario, it was likely his skills would be put to use at the Pentagon. Worst case, he would be used to interrogate prisoners of war or black ops.

Jethro really didn't want Tony to get involved with black ops. He knew some men that were and saw a change in them that scared him. Many of those men were borderline depressed. With the history Tony had... well he didn't want to think about it.

But he was going; he had his orders. He didn't like it, he didn't have to, that was why they were called orders.

Monday November 7, 1990

It was the day before Jethro was to ship out. He wanted to treat the day as though it were just like any other day... like it wasn't the time he could possible see them. It didn't matter how much he pretended that it was a normal day. He couldn't believe it. Not when he knew that he didn't know when he would have a normal day. But he could always pretend.

Maddie had gotten a camera for her last birthday. Now that she learned how to use it she takes it everywhere. Jethro didn't think she would mind if he took a picture of her and Kelly together. He was certain that she didn't have one. He could always ask her mother for a copy. He and Shannon got along with Mrs. Taylor very well.

He found the girls sitting on a mound, giggling. After taking the photo he turned to Tony, who was reading a book on physics of firearms a few feet away from them, silently asking for an explanation.

"I have been sworn to secrecy."

"You'll tell me later." Jethro glared at Tony but he was unfazed by it. In fact, he smiled instead.

"Nope. You taught me to never break a promise and I promised Kelly that I wouldn't tell you anything."

His glare turned into a smile. "Good boy."

Tony laughed and went back to his book.

Tuesday November 8, 1990

Everything in Jethro hated that he was once again was being torn from the little girl that was wrapped around his waist, begging him not to leave. His heart ached each time Kelly said "don't go". As much as it hurt he turned his back on his baby girl.

When he looked back he saw Tony pull her into a hug to comfort her. That should have been him. It was his responsibility to keep Kelly from hurting. And now he was the one to cause that hurt.

Jethro didn't believe in regretting his decisions. It would be pointless to do so. Regrets don't change anything. There wasn't anything that he could do to fix what happened in the past. While regrets didn't control him, those decisions helped him become the man he was today. He wouldn't change anything about himself even if he could.

That didn't stop him from thinking that it was time for him to leave the Corps. By the time his contract was up sixteen years would have passed since he had first joined the service. He could be a reserve for the last four years so that he didn't lose his pension... though he would still leave even if that meant he lost everything. He had missed too much of Kelly's life already. Even if it meant losing everything it would be worth it if he could spend more time with his family.

Friday November 16, 1990

Shannon's mind wasn't set on celebrating Thanksgiving this year. It felt wrong not having Jethro there. It always felt wrong to celebrate family holidays without Jethro. She went through the motions because that was what was expected of her from her kids.... all four of them. She loved family holidays. But that was only when the whole family was together.

She suspected Tony knew what she was going through. It was scary how many traits (the horrible sludge they called coffee not withstanding) he picked up from Jethro over the years. His ability to read people was one of them. Though if someone were to ask Jethro he was insist that Tony already had those particular skills. He had only helped Tony to develop and focus them. Shannon didn't care how these skills were developed, she just cared about the fact that Tony seemed to be able to read her like one of his books. And he read that she wasn't happy.

He didn't mention anything and she was grateful for that. But he did try to make things easier for her. That included the shopping. Unfortunately that meant that he bought a 28 pound turkey. Shannon was not happy about that.

"Did you have to get one that big?" asked Shannon.

"Kelly picked it out!" cried Tony childishly.

"Don't blame your sister for that... that monstrosity. She's a seven. It was your choice to but it!"

"Just look at it my way; at least we won't run out of poultry any time soon."

Thursday November 22, 1990 (Thanksgiving, Washington DC) 

Shannon looked at the giant turkey in front of her and sighed. It would have been perfect if had been trying to feed every family that lived on base. However, that wasn't the case. She was only trying to feed three people.... and Kelly didn't like turkey all that much. She would only eat it on Thanksgiving and even then it wasn't a lot.

It was going to take all day to cook.

She would have had Tony deal with the turkey but she was afraid of what he would do with it. He could get pretty creative with food when he wanted. Usually she had no problem with that. In fact, she encouraged it. However, when it came to the Thanksgiving turkey, she was a traditionalist. Even if she left specific instructions he would find a way to get creative. Deep fried turkey briefly crossed her mind. No, it was better to keep him away. He could have the potatoes. There was no way he could ruin those.

It was around noon when Kathryn arrived without warning. She brought corn... a lot of corn.

"Aunt Gwen was invited to a co-workers house and forgot to mention me. I wasn't invited, so I'm alone today. You don't mind if I stay, do you?"

"No hon. Come on in." Gwen was a great lawyer. But at 34, she wasn't the best mother figure for Kathryn. "You're going to be put to work."

"I wasn't expecting anything less."

"You can start with that corn and then you can move onto the stuffing. I haven't had time to prep it. I can put it in the turkey in a few hours."

They worked companionably for an hour before Jeremy arrived with Kristina and several pumpkin pies. He looked completely forlorn standing on her porch. Without a word she let him in and led him to the kitchen. Shannon gave him a bowl of fresh green beans but he was confused as to what he was supposed to do with them until Tony showed him that Shannon wanted him to break off the ends off the beans.

* * *

After over six hours in the oven the turkey was finally done. Jeremy and Tony fought over who got to carve it. Shannon grabbed the knife and cut into the bird, annoyed with the way the boys were behaving. She fixed a plate for the three girls and herself. They were still bickering when they began to eat.

"Will you two sit down and eat?" reprimanded Shannon as she speared a piece of turkey with her fork.

"Yes, Mom."

They chatted about everything and nothing. Shannon told Jeremy and Kathryn that they were bringing leftovers home. Apparently turkey and corn made a great meal.

* * *

(Thanksgiving Kuwait)

Gunnery Sargent Leroy Jethro Gibbs sat down and glared at what was supposed to be Thanksgiving dinner. He knew Shannon would have served a spectacular meal with all the traditional trimmings. Normally he didn't have a problem with the food. It wasn't first class but that shouldn't be expected while out in a war zone. They should be thankful that they weren't being forced to eat dry rations. But Thanksgiving was special and the slop in front of him was anything but. Everything was covered in gravy... even what he thought was jello.

He knew he would get a letter from his family giving him every detail of their holiday. It was something to look forward to other than yet another day in the desert, waiting for orders that may or may not come. A letter could take awhile to get to Kuwait but it would be worth the wait.

He didn't even hear anyone coming up behind him.

"You know Gunny, glaring at your food isn't going to make it more appetizing."

"What? Hi Patrick."

"Missing home cooked meals?"

"Missing home," he told his friend. Jethro pushed his food away and went to his bunk.

Thursday November 29, 1990

Letters from home was the only thing that made being a soldier at war bearable. For a man like Jethro that was especially true. He thrived in situations where family was involved. Even if that meant reading a few sheets of paper telling him what they did that day. The letter gave him a reminder of what he's fighting for.... not that he needed a reminder.

It wasn't the Thanksgiving letter but it did go into every detail of what happened from the day he left to they day that Shannon sent. He was glad that they were doing so well and that they seemed to be happy. Yet, the letters also made him miss even more than before.

For some reason he felt as though he had to hid his letters from the others. He didn't know why, but he felt as though he had to keep Tony a secret. Not that many people knew that he adopted Tony. At first it wasn't planned that way, but now they were doing it to keep Tony safe. He didn't exactly know what he was keeping his son safe from but it felt like it was the right thing to do.

Monday December 3, 1990

Shannon sat by television each night hoping to hear news that whatever was going on in the Middle East was going to end soon. However, her gut was telling he that was far from the truth. The war was just beginning.

She didn't fully understand what was happening over there. She understood that was supposedly about oil and border disputes. She couldn't understand why. There was a lot of money in the oil business but that couldn't be the only reason why a country as large as Iraq would pick a war with a country as small as Kuwait.

There was nothing on the news. Nothing that told Shannon what was really going on. She hated that. She hated not knowing if there was a greater chance that she was going to get a visit from a chaplain. She hated not knowing whether or not her husband was safe.

Sunday December 9, 1990

Gathering Intel in the States wasn't how Tony imagined he was going to spend his time during the war. But he wasn't a soldier.... not the kind that was needed in Kuwait or Saudi Arabia. He was trained to find information that could help direct those that were in those countries. It was one of the reasons he was promoted so quickly. He was good at what he was doing. It didn't matter that he wasn't happy doing it. However, anyone can use a gun when trained properly but only a few can do what he did.

Plus he was learning Arabic in the process.

Tuesday December 18, 1990

Rumors spread quickly when you lived in a camp as small as the one Jethro did. He didn't usually pay attention to the rumors. Most of the time they didn't make any sense, like the one where the Secretary of Defense was going to ensure that they were all going to be home by Christmas. If that were true they would all be on ships heading toward the States and not just wishing that they were heading home. Christmas was only a week away.

There were a few rumors that he did listen to. He believed that they were likely to be true because even the highest of officers were talking about it.

They were heading for war.... a real war. It was a war that wasn't likely to end quickly. He knew that was a possibility from the moment he heard he was going to Kuwait.

Tuesday December 25, 1990

Christmas was harder to celebrate without Jethro than Thanksgiving. Jethro loved Christmas even more than she did. He told many stories of Christmases with his parents... before his mother died. She lived for the season just as Shannon's step-mother had. But she couldn't think about that now. Kelly needed her attention.

"Mom," said Kelly as she climbed into Shannon's lap, "when is daddy coming home?"

"I don't know, Baby. It won't be for too long. You know how much he hates being away from us."

"Then why does he always leave? I don't want him to leave any more."

"We talked about this, Kel. Your daddy has a job protecting his country. Sometimes that has to take him away from home."

"Do you think he got the tape we made him in time for Christmas?" Shannon and Tony knew that Kelly would be upset if he didn't get the recording.

"Of course he did, Squirt," said Tony as he spoke up for the first time since Kelly got into her little depression. "Christmas is magic. He had to get it in time because Christmas wouldn't allow otherwise."

"I want him home."

"I know, Baby, but that isn't possible right now. Not even Christmas can make that happen. But I'm positive that he's thinking about us."

* * *

Even as the day passed Kelly didn't get any happier. In fact, she seemed to get even more depressed as the day wore on. Tony tried to cheer her up but it was impossible. Kelly simply missed her daddy and wanted him back.

It was dinner time when the phone rang. Everyone who would have called already had or else turned up at the door to wish them a Merry Christmas. So Shannon was very curious as to who would be calling now.

"Shannon!" came last last voice she expected to hear. It nearly caused her to drop the phone.

"Jethro? How―"

"I don't have a lot of time but I have to know how you and the kids are doing."

"I'm a lot better now that I've heard your voice. The kids miss you dearly... especially Kelly. She's pining for you."

"Can I talk to her?"

"Kelly, someone wants to talk to you!"

The little girl's eyes went wide when she realized who it was. They only spoke for a few minutes about how much they missed each other before she passed the phone (saying that she loved him) to Tony.

Tony knew how difficult it was to make a phone call at that distance... especially when that place of distance was in dispute. He had to make several international calls on a near daily basis.

"You're taking proper care of the girls, right Tony?"

"Of course. I couldn't do anything less. You told me to look after them and I will."

"I know, son. You know how hard it is to be away from those you love," Jethro referred to is recent deployment to Germany.

"Yeah Dad, I know. And I love you too. Come home safely." Just then the line went dead. They ran out of time. He wished Shannon could have gotten a chance to talk to him longer.

But on the plus side, Kelly wasn't as depressed as she was all day.

Thursday January 3, 1991

Tony was being deployed again. It wasn't to Kuwait or Iraq or even Germany. He was going to Israel. Not exactly his first choice but it could have been worse. Not exactly sure how it could be worse but he was certain that it could be. He knew that Israel was another country that Iraq (among many others) wanted to annihilate. Israel could be just as dangerous as Kuwait or Saudi Arabia.

Neither Shannon nor Kathryn were going to be happy about where he was going.

He wasn't due to leave for another two and a half weeks. So he was able to celebrate his anniversary with Kathryn, which was in three days. He had everything planned out. Hopefully things went smoothly.

Sunday January 6, 1991

Kathryn smiled when she saw Tony arrive with a dozen daffodils. She was glad that he didn't bring her roses. While she preferred daisies, Kathryn was happy with Tony's choice. It wasn't easy to to find daisies in Washington during January.

"You were never no to go for the cliché, Tony." She kissed him when she accepted the yellow flowers.

"I could, but I know you would skin me alive if I got you roses. Besides, you really don't want NIS on your back for killing a Marine. Some of them actually know what they are doing."

"You do have a good point. Plus, I think I would miss you too much if I killed you. You're too cute to die."

"Well, I already knew that, Kitten," joke Tony. "Now, let's go."

They went to their favorite Italian restaurant, the one that they went on their first date and got marinara spilled on them. They got a table in the back. It was Kathryn's idea of the best table in the place... near the kitchen but not uncomfortably so.

Tony was watching her eat a cannoli that they were supposed to be sharing. Kathryn was amused that he seemed to be squirming.

"You know that I love you, right?" he asked nervously.

"Yeah, and I love you too." Tony smiled that bright smile that he reserved for only her when she said that.

"You know that I wouldn't want to live without you, that you are my entire world other than my family. That I wouldn't be be same person I that I am today if it weren't for you. That if I lose you it would be like losing a part of my soul."

"Tony...."

"I don't want to even think about that one day you won't be there."

"That will never happen. I hate being apart from as well."

"Then I guess there's one way to make sure that won't happen." He pulled out a small black box from his pocket. "Kathryn Franklin, will you marry me?"

Tears sprung from Kathryn's eyes as she nodded her head. "Yes!" There was on reason to give any other answer.

Saturday January 17, 1991

Jethro wasn't sure what happened. He remembered he shooting and the tanks but everything else was a blur. All he knew was that none of his prior experiences were as intense as what happened.

And the sad part was that it was just beginning.

When Tony arrived in Tel Aviv it was to pure chaos. Reports were coming in that Iraq had sent several Scud missiles to Tel Aviv and Haifa. He still had to get to the main building of the Israel Defense Force office but everything was shut down and getting on the road was impossible. He couldn't even get on a phone to contact his new superior officer.

By the time the the sun officially rose he was cleared to leave the Israeli airbase, HaKirya. His escort, a turai rishon (Tony was told this was a private first class, a rank lower than his) spoke very little English and no German or Italian... and it seemed a insensitive to ask if an Israeli to if he could speak Arabic, though his own ability to speak the language was rudimentary at best. So that worked out in the in end.

His new commanding officer was a segen mishne,which he was told was a Second Lieutenant, Uzzi Harel.

"I hope you weren't inconvenienced by the wait, Corporal Gibbs. I know how important it is for you to get to work." Tony had a feeling that Segen mishne Uzzi wasn't being condescending.

"I understand, sir. Your country was under assault, an American Marine is supposed to be considered less important. Anything that the IDF can provide can and will be an asset to our cause. Israel is an important ally and we want to keep it that way. And keeping you from being knowingly involved will be one way to make sure that nothing happens to prevent us from losing."

Tony was led to those that he would be working with. Thankfully most of them spoke at least one of the languages that he did. Though he wasn't expecting to be working with Mossad. The man he was working with was a higher ranking officer, Eli David.

Wednesday January 30, 1991

It wasn't easy living in a war torn country. The thought that you could die at any moment was permanently ingrained in your mind. The idea that those you love will never see you again scared you more than anything ever had.

Attack was something that you fear daily. Hearing that eleven Marines died in Saudi Arabia didn't lessen that fear.

A/N I'm sorry this is so late. I had to do some last minute research in Israeli military ranks.


	12. Feburary, March, April 1991

CBS and Paramount Pictures own NCIS.

You're to Blame

**You are to blame for anything that is good in my heart. You are to blame for this change that has taken me by storm. - Mercy Me**

Chapter Twelve – February 1991-April 1991

Sunday February 3, 1991

It's how you get through the hard times that tell you what kind of person you are. It's easy to be a kind person when everything is going your way. But when everything around you is falling apart, it changes a person... and not always for the better. When the times are tough, that's when a person's real personality shines through.

When there is a constant reminder of death there's bound to be more than a fair share of hard times for everyone. It didn't matter where you are in the world; Kuwait, Israel, or even the United States. It always follows you.

Trying to ignore the hard times usually make things worse in the long run. But sometimes it's a way to survive. Sometimes by pretending that nothing is wrong it creates a defense mechanism that seems to be impenetrable. While in truth you are just creating a wall around yourself... refusing to let others help your through the hard times.

Thursday February 7, 1991

Tony did not like the looks he had been getting from Eli David. It was as though he was trying to figure out his deepest secrets. The problem with that was his deepest secrets could cause a lot more trouble than they were worth.

He didn't blame the older man. David was Mossad; it was probably an instinct for him to do so. That didn't make it any less unnerving. In fact, it made it even more so. Tony didn't want to think about the damage David could cause if he ever found out.

So when the man invited him over for dinner, Tony was too scared to object. David could kill him several different ways without him realizing he was dead. It was best to just do as he asks.

David was very private. Considering his age and his profession that was probably a good thing most of the time. However it was a bit unsettling to find out that he didn't know he had children until he had met them. He had three; a son and two daughters, Ari, Ziva, and Tali. He had no wife and the luxurious apartment showed no signs of a woman's touch.

Ari was the eldest at seventeen. Tony felt there was something odd about him, as though he didn't fit in with the rest of the family. It didn't help that he looked nothing like his sisters. His appearance was much harsher and more angular than of the girls. His sisters had very soft features and would likely be very beautiful when they got older.

The first daughter was Ziva. It was obvious she craved her father's attention... much the same way he had once desire his own father's. She was mature, so it came as a surprise to learn that she was only fourteen. Tony knew the signs of someone who had to grow up too fast and this girl was showing all of them. Though growing up in Tel Aviv and having your father being a high ranking officer in Mossad couldn't have helped.

Little ten-year-old Tali was incredibly innocent. She reminded him strongly of Kelly. But she also seemed to have accepted that when it came to her father she came second after Mossad, unlike Ziva. It was sad to see someone so young know that she was considered a vacation from the realities of life. She had to be one of the most self-sacrificing people he had ever met. But she seemed to be shy as well. Very unusual for someone in her position.

It would always amaze him how much you can learn about someone by observing them for five minutes. His psychology classes had actually taught him something.

Yet it was a little surprising to find Tali cornering him outside the bathroom. She spoke in somewhat broken English... which was actually better than many of the non-Americans he had to work with.

"Abba is very..." she searched for the right word, "ambitious. I know not what he wants but somehow he always gets it. You are very important in America, yes?"

The question threw him off guard. "Only to my family." Tali didn't need to know about the whole 'lost DiNozzo' fiasco the media had put him through. Besides, that little tidbit was classified. "I will be careful around him."

"Please do. Abba, forgets sometimes that it isn't nice to play with people."

Like everything else Tony had eaten since arriving in Israel, the meal was Kosher. It was a simple vegetable soup, something a child could make in a hurry and not worry if there was enough for everyone. He highly suspected Ziva made dinner and do so often for her siblings and occasionally for her father.

"I am guessing you are missing your American food," said David.

"Not that this isn't good," he smiled at Ziva, "but yeah I am. I especially miss pizza."

"Pizza is Italian, yes?" asked Ziva confused.

"Yeah, it's Italian. But due to immigration many things from other countries have been Americanized. Pizza is one of them."

They made small talk for the rest of the meal. Tony didn't mention anything about his family. When David started to ask specific questions Tony tried to be as vague as possible. He knew that David didn't like that he was getting answers.

David dismissed his children as soon as the meal was over. It was obvious that the idle conversation frustrated him. He was a man on a mission and Tony was his unfortunate target.

"Would you like some wine, Corporal Gibbs?" asked David. "Israeli wine does well to cleanse your palate."

"No thank you, sir. This may be Israel but I am still an American and will obey all of the laws of America. Those laws prohibit the consumption of alcohol until the age of twenty-one." Plus, there was the fact that Shannon would kill him if she found out that he had been drinking. He was confident that she would find out even though he was on the other side of the world. But he didn't say that. "It wouldn't be good form for me to return to the base with alcohol on my breath."

"Very well." He paused to get himself a drink. "Mossad has complied a dossier you, Corporal. There was surprisingly very little that we could find. No birth records, no hint of where you went to school, your bank records were encrypted so well that not even our best computer... experts could find them; if they even existed in the first place. We were able to find your records from Parris Island but even those were extremely vague. On paper, you don't exist."

"Do you put together a dossier for every American in the military that comes to Israel?" Tony asked suspiciously.

"No, just the ones that are given highly sensitive information."

"You believe that I am a threat to Israel." He smiled. The idea was amusing.

"I believe that you could be an asset."

Tony's smile faltered as he chuckled darkly. "I really hate that word," he muttered under his breath. Being called an 'asset' always made him feel as though he was being used. "Mossad wants to recruit me as well. I'm not Israeli. I'm not even Jewish. Why do you want me?"

"You are the perfect operative. If Mossad cannot find out who you are, then no one can. Someone like you can help save the world."

"I'm not interested. While the thought of playing 'James Bond' is intriguing, I would have joined the CIA or NSA when they asked me two years ago if I truly wanted that kind of life. Now, I don't want to be rude but I have to leave. Curfew is in 30 and I don't want to be late." He paused by the door before he left. "I do exist, Officer David. I'm just really good at hiding."

Saturday February 16, 1991

Valentine's Day passed without a letter. Kathryn wasn't expecting one to arrive on time but she had been hopeful that it would. She did expect something even if it were late... a letter at the very least.

The package she got was unexpected. The gift inside was even more so.

"A vial of sand? Weird but sweet." Kathryn knew her friends would think it was the cutest thing ever.

Thursday February 28, 1991

Jethro couldn't help cheering with everyone else when he heard Colonel Ryan announce a cease fire. The details weren't very forthcoming but at least they were safe for now.

It wasn't over. Iraq had planted mines allover Kuwait. Any one with half a brain would realize they weren't going to clean up after themselves. History taught them that.

Monday March 4, 1991

It was just an ordinary day. Wake up, make coffee just because the scent reminded Shannon of her husband, drive Kelly to school, go to the store for a forgotten ingredient.

And that was when Shannon's ordinary day ended.

She had always been a curious person. Her mom had told her that her curiosity would one day get her into trouble. She just wished he knew how much trouble.

There was shouting coming from the alley beside the store. She recognized it as Spanish but she only understood a few words. None of them were particularly helpful. She poked her head around the corner just as a shot rang out. Shannon tried to muffle her scream but the gunman heard her anyways. She knew he saw her face because she had a very good look at his.

She also saw the gun pointing right at her. Shannon managed to duck before she was shot in the face. However, the bullet still grazed her arm. This time she didn't even try to muffle her scream.

Shannon ran as fast as she could, staying in areas that had plenty of people around. No one seemed to notice her or the fact that she was heavily bleeding.

It was pure dumb luck that she had decided to go to a store near Navy Yard. It was nearing noon so there was a least a chance that she would meet an agent that was getting lunch.

She stopped running long enough to see if she recognized where she was. She didn't know that running was the only thing that was keeping her on her feet. She didn't know that the blood loss was slowly starting to get to her.

Shannon never did find out who it was that caught her when she passed out.

* * *

The consistent beeping confused Shannon for a moment. Then the unwelcome familiar scent of ammonia filled her nose. She did the first thing her body told her to do. She threw up.

"Whoa there, Missy," said a gravely voice. Shannon barely recognized it as Mike Franks. "Take it easy or I'll be kicked out of here for upsetting you. Now, tell me what happened."

She told her story as calmly as possible. However, she panicked when when she got to the part where she got shot.

"My purse. I dropped my purse." She began to hyperventilate.

Franks understood her panic. He knew that many women kept everything in their purses... including family photos. They had to get to the kid and fast. Franks hurriedly rushed out of the room and bullied a nurse into letting him use a phone. He ordered that Kelly Gibbs was to be taken out of school and brought to headquarters. When he got back Shannon was paler than when he left. Considering the blood loss, that was quite the feat.

"This is all my fault. I have one job to do when Jethro and Tony are gone and that's to take care of Kelly. I can't even do that without messing up. God, Jethro is going to be so mad."

"Mrs. Gibbs, I'm sure it isn't going to be that bad," Franks consoled awkwardly. "Where are they? I need to contact your Gunny at the very least."

"Jethro is in Kuwait. I don't know if I can get into contact with him. Even if you do find him he would go ballistic and make a mistake. He can't afford to do that in his situation. Tony will be easier because he's in Tel Aviv, but I don't want him knowing. He has the tendency to worry needlessly."

Franks sighed heavily but had no choice but to do what she wanted. He had her give a description of the shooter to a sketch artist and then he explained to her that she and Kelly were going to a safe house until NIS found him.

Monday March 18, 1991

Ever since the disaster that was was dinner at the David apartment, Tony had been avoiding Eli David as much as possible. Being as Corporal made him one of the highest ranking Americans non-officers in Tel Aviv...or at least in his department.

Though he did sometimes feel sorry for whoever he sent to David. However, he soon realized his subordinates actually enjoyed being sent to David. That did not sit well with Tony. His men couldn't sense that the Mossad officer was dangerous.

That in itself was dangerous.

Only one person could see David for what he was, PFC August 'Gus' Schroeder. He told Tony what was going on between David and the four Marines that worked under him.

"He's asking questions. He asks questions about everyone in our unit, he he only does follow ups on you. Last time you sent me to him he asked me how you got promoted so quickly. I told him the truth."

"Which is what?"

"That you are a fine Marine and we're lucky to work for someone like you."

Tony was amazed by the loyalty Schroeder was showing him. Schroeder was about the same age as Tony and had been in the graduating class right behind Tony's at Parris Island. Knowing that Schroeder had been in the Marines for eighteen months made Tony look back at his own career. He was promoted straight to Private First Class right out of boot camp because of his history and was a Lance Corporal barely six months later. Now, he was a nineteen-year-old Corporal in charge of a four man team, two of them were older than Tony. He never could do anything normally.

"The others, they don't resent the fact that I was promoted faster than they were, do they?"

"At first they did," Schroeder spoke quickly. "Now they have noticed how smart you are and they understand why. But there's still a lot of scuttlebutt going around about you... especially among Meyer's team."

"Has David heard any of it?"

"Everyone around here has? But I don't think he believes any of it. I heard Private Crowley say you know eleven different languages."

"It's only six and two of them are rudimentary. Only enough that I can follow basic conversations."

Schroeder rolled his eyes but winced when he realized what he did. Tony ignored it. This was a friendly conversation... he didn't care about rank.

"David only wants the hardcore facts about you. The stuff that you refuse to talk about."

Tony gave him a huge smile. "Then that's what we are going to give him. Rule 16: know when to hide in plain sight."

Thursday March 21, 1991

Kelly hadn't been outside in weeks. She would sit four hours staring at the covered windows, after her tutoring sessions with Maggie. The inactivity was getting to her. She was like Jethro in that way. They both had to always be doing something. Even when Kelly was reading she was in constant motion.

Now the only movement she made was blinking. That scared Shannon. She had to find a way to get Kelly outside. Franks was coming by that night to check on them. She asked then.

"No way, Missy. It's too dangerous. Pedro Hernandez was seen in Alexandria. He was gone before we got the call that he was there. That isn't too far from here."

"All I want is half an hour!"

"I am not going to risk your lives just because your daughter is sad!"

"Sad? Look at her! That is not sad." She pointed at Kelly. "That is catatonia. That is not healthy. She will die if I don't fix this."

"You will both die if Hernandez see you." He let out a sigh. The girl did look very sick. "Stay in the backyard and don't let anyone see you. Don't make me regret this."

She gave him a soft smile. "Thank you."

Tuesday April 9, 1991

Eli David was frustrated with the amount of information he was getting on Corporal Gibbs. First he wasn't getting anything. Now he had three files of irrelevant data that was going to him days to go over. He didn't need to know how many times a day the corporal brushed his teeth. And while the rules intrigued him, David wanted to know why they were numbered and where he got such an idea.

He realized he wasn't going to find anything useful and sent the files to one of his assistants. A job like would be perfect for Officer Shain.

Wednesday April 24, 1991

Mike's gut was churning. Something bad was going to happen. He could feel it but it couldn't be explained. Nothing should be making him feel so anxious. His only open case was the Gibbs. They were at the safe house and out of the way. There was no need to worry about them. Even Kelly was starting to act a little more lively.

Friday April 26, 1991

It was 0554 when Mike got the call. Maggie was found dead in her apartment, tortured with her own belt. She never had a chance to survive. She had lost too much blood.

The safe house was compromised. As dangerous as it was to move Shannon and Kelly, it would be like sending a lamb to the slaughter if he didn't.

Giving orders usually wasn't a problem. Actually, Franks reveled in it. But this time he regretted the order as soon as he gave it. He really hoped that his decision wasn't a mistake. That wasn't something he was used to feeling.

* * *

It was 0613 and the safe house was empty. Agent Harry Tanner, now on Franks' team now that Melissa Phelps was transferred to the San Diego office, was driving them to a new safe house in Silver Spring. He wasn't sure if moving the Gibbs girls was the smartest thing to do. It would be easier to probably to protect them in a wide open space if it came down to it.

Tanner didn't want to worry his charges but a motorcycle had been following them for the last few miles. At first he thought that it meant nothing but after making a few unnecessary turns, he knew that they were being tailed.

"I want you two to stay down."Do not get up for any reason. You hear me, do not get up."

Shannon nodded and pulled Kelly closer to her. She knew that their was a chance that they weren't going to get through this alive. She placed her and Kelly's lives in Tanner's hands.

They never heard the gun shot. Shannon and Kelly saw the way Tanner's head lurched forward and the blood spraying the windshield. Kelly was screaming as the car started swerving uncontrollably so that they would crash. And then everything was black and they were gone.

Saturday April, 27 1991

Jethro Gibbs was used to having bad things happen around him. His mother's death, having life long friends turn on him without a second thought, Jackson's disapproval with almost everything he's done, being attacked by those he trusted with his life, Tony being accused of murder, Lieutenant Cameron's death, and many more.

All those paled in comparison with the words that he heard come out of Colonel Ryan's mouth.

"Your wife and daughter have died in the crash."

Running from the truth was never Jethro's style. In fact, he never ran from anything in his entire life. Now he couldn't stop running. It didn't matter where he ran; he had to get away from everything... from life.

He couldn't hear anyone telling him to stop. He didn't care that he was running straight into a minefield. None of that mattered anymore. His family, his beautiful wife and daughter were gone and they were never coming back. Everything else wasn't important.

The explosion took everyone by surprise. Seeing Gunny Gibbs flying away from it put the whole unit into action. Patrick reached Jethro first and checked him for any signs of life. He found a weak pulse but it was proof enough that he was still alive.

The corpsman pushed Patrick out of the way. There was a lot of blood surrounding the man and his knee looked like the was probably shattered. No one knew the irony that his heart was likely in the same condition. It was a miracle that he was still alive.

A med-vac was ordered. No one was willing to let this man die. Not like this. He was too good, too pure of a soul. They had seen too much death and destruction to allow this to happen.

* * *

Field hospitals aren't always fully stocked with what is desperately needed. Jethro was taken to Dr. Gelfand immediately. There wasn't much he could do other than stop the bleeding and make sure that he didn't tear up his knee anymore than it already was.

There were no obvious signs of head injury other than a concussion. The was no outward reason why the Gunny should be in a coma. Sending him Germany to was the only option that they had to treat him.

Monday April 29, 1991

For the past few days Tony hadn't had anything to do. He had his team going over Intel but with the war being practically over there wasn't much to go over. And there was nothing for him to do to keep his mind occupied.

It wasn't everyday that a USMC colonel stopped by his office. In fact, that hadn't happened since Germany. He learned from last time that it would be better if he just allowed the colonel speak first... even if it was his office.

Tony knew that it wouldn't good news when he dismissed Schroeder.

"Corporal Gibbs, I'm afraid that I have bad news."

"My dad?" He had a million scenarios running through his mind.

"Partly. Your mother and sister were in an accident. They didn't make it. You won't be getting any details until you return to the states. When Gunnery Sargent Gibbs heard the news he ran out into a minefield." The Colonel saw the blood drain from Tony's face. "He's still alive but he's in a coma in a stable but serious condition in Frankfurt. I have a plane waiting for at HiKirya that will be leaving for Frankfurt in an hour. Grab your gear. You won't be returning here." He paused for a moment. "I am very sorry Corporal."

"Thank you, sir."

Tuesday April 30, 1991

It's the hard times that define who you are. Holding his dad's hand while he is in a coma proved just how strong Tony Gibbs really was. Crying and telling him that everything was going to be alright even though he had no idea how that would be, was another way.

Tony didn't remember crying at his mother's funeral. DiNozzos never cried. That was ingrained in his mind from the age of cry. You do not cry. Crying is weak. But crying at his dad's side begging him to wake didn't feel weak at all. It was his way of searching for the strength that he desperately needed.

He wasn't going to ignore what was going on around him. But he also wasn't going to broadcast that there was a chance that he would orphan.

A/N This was the hardest chapters I had ever had to write. I really looked into the time line so that I could properly place Shannon and Kelly's deaths and Jethro's accident. This was the best that I could come up with.

I also know that Hiatus said Kelly was eight when she died but that isn't possible if she was born in '84.

To make some of you happier, I'm offering brownie points to anyone that can guess where I came up with "August".


	13. May, June, July 1991

CBS and Paramount Pictures own NCIS.

You're to Blame

**You are to blame for anything that is good in my heart. You are to blame for this change that has taken me by storm. - Mercy Me**

Chapter Thirteen – May-July 1991

Wednesday May 1, 1991

The fact the his dad was refusing to wake scared Tony. None of the doctors could tell him what was wrong because aside from a major concussion there was nothing wrong with Jethro.

It was only on a rare occasion that Tony left Jethro's side. He wanted to be there when he woke up. Just the thought of Jethro waking alone sent shivers down Tony's spine. The older man would very likely panic if he wasn't there to tell him that he still had a family... even though it had been cut in half.

Then there was the look of pure anguish on Jethro's face. Tony knew what it was, he was feeling the same thing. He understood the pain he as feeling. Everything in Tony wanted to take that pain away. But he had to wake up before that could happen.

Sunday May 5, 1991

The doctors kept saying the longer Jethro was in a coma the harder it would be for him to pull out of it. But Leroy Jethro Gibbs had always done things on his own schedule. It shouldn't be any different this time.

But for once that was a reason to worry. Each day that Jethro was in a coma meant there were more tests being done. This lead to more questions than answers.

Friday May 10, 1991

One of the doctors had threatened to sedate Tony if he didn't get any sleep. He didn't want to sleep because that meant having dreams about Shannon and Kelly. Each time he woke up the pain of losing them was fresh. He didn't want to keep feeling that pain any more than he had to.

Tony figured out that was why his dad didn't want to wake. He was with Shannon and Kelly. The pain of losing them was probably unbearable. He was happy living with his memories. Tony couldn't fault him for that.

He finally agreed to take a sedative. Jethro was going to need his mind clear if he was going to help him through this. And if he had to work through his own grief first, he would do it. He deserved that at the very least.

Wednesday May 15, 1991 

It's a very well known fact that coma patients often respond to familiar voices. The nurses and doctors told Tony that he should try talking to him. He would have if he had more than five minutes alone with him. In the end he was granted an hour to themselves. Jethro's vitals were stable and he didn't need constant monitoring.

Tony didn't know what to say so he just started talking.

"Everything is so different. God... I never done anything like this before. How do I talk to you when you're like this? How do I tell you what I need to say when I know you aren't going you answer? Why do I have to be so much like you?

"You need to wake up. I can't lose another parent. My birth parents were horrible but it still hurt to lose them. I actually like you. Can you imagine how much it would kill me if I lose you so soon after Mom and Kelly. It would cause me to go insane.

"I don't care that I'm nineteen and a Marine. I need you. I need you to tell me that everything will be OK. I need you to tell me that none of this is my fault. I need you to wake up. Please wake up." Tears were flowing down Tony's cheeks just as they did the first day Tony came to the hospital.

A little while later Tony felt his hand being squeezed.

"Tony?" Jethro's voice was weak. For a few seconds Tony was stunned. Then he flung himself into Jethro's arms, desperately seeking the comfort that he need. Jethro didn't say anything about Tony suddenly being clingy. He just held him all the tighter.

Monday May 20, 1991

The flight home was quiet and uncomfortable. Jethro wasn't talking much. Tony respected his need for silence for now. The back of a Med-vac plane wasn't the ideal place to have a private conversation. There were far too many ears around.

The conversation was going have to wait. Jethro was being sent to Bethesda. While he wasn't going to be watched as closely as he was in Frankfurt, he still wasn't going to alone for long periods of time. It gave each of them the time they needed to think about what they wanted to say.

After getting Jethro settled at the hospital, Tony went home when Jethro insisted. He cleaned out the kitchen before heading downstairs to the basement. It was the only place in the entire house that didn't smell like Shannon or have any reminders of Kelly.

Tony poured himself some of the bourbon he found behind the paint thinner. No one was there to care if he drank. No one was there to disapprove. Shannon wasn't there.

He stopped drinking as soon as he began to feel tipsy. When he moved in with Shannon and Jethro he made a promise to himself that he would never be the drunks that his biological parents were. He was going to keep that promise because that was what Shannon would want him to do... even if she would never know about it.

He didn't know he had fallen asleep until he bolted awake when he heard a noise from upstairs. Tony stayed where he was knowing that whoever it was would either leave or come down to the basement. He hoped for the former. The thing he wanted most was to be left alone... at least until his head stopped hurting.

Tony didn't get what he wanted. When it came down to it, he never did.

"Tony, I know you're down here. Will you please answer me?"

"What are you doing here, Kathryn?" She nearly flinched at his tone.

"I had to see you. Why didn't you answer the phone? I called five times before I came over." He hated that look in her eyes, though he couldn't name it. When he didn't answer she just continued on as though she didn't ask him anything. "I brought you some dinner. Thought that you might be hungry." That was when he recognized the look. It was pity. That was the last thing he wanted from Kathryn... from anyone really.

"Thanks but I'm not that hungry." He wanted her to leave. That was the first time he wanted that. "I just want to catch up on some sleep before I head back to see dad at the hospital." That was her hint to leave.

"Oh." She sounded like he hurt her but at the moment Tony didn't care. "Well, Aunt Gwen planned the funeral for this Saturday. Your dad should be out of the hospital by then, right?"

Tony nodded. "Saturday is fine. I'll see you then. And tell Gwen I said 'thanks'."

Kathryn kissed his cheek before she left. She couldn't understand why Tony was treating her like that but allowed him to be alone for awhile.

Wednesday May 22, 1991

Jethro was finally released from Bethesda. Tony had picked him up at 0800 because he refused to take a cab. The ride was silent like everything else between them. It was as though Jethro was trying to detach himself. Just the thought of that happening frightened Tony more that he thought it would. He knew that if it came down to it he would fight to stay with Jethro.

By lunch Jethro still hadn't said a single word. Instead he looked around the house. Almost every reminder of the girls were gone. Every now and then he would find an old toy or one of Shannon's projects. But Shannon's scent still permeated the air. Tony had opened all the windows to get rid of it.

Tony couldn't stand the silence anymore.

"Dad, are _we_ going to OK?" Tony made sure Jethro heard the emphasis on 'we'.

"I don't know, Kid. I hope so but it's going to take time."

Tony sighed. He had hoped Jethro would have called him 'son' like he did on so many different occasions. "Don't push me away. I won't survive if you do."

He gave Tony a hard look. "I'll try not to." He wrapped an arm around his son's shoulder. "I'll try."

Saturday May 25, 1991

It was raining. Tony hated the rain. Bad things happens when it does, not always but often enough. Today wasn't any different. Today they finally buried Shannon and Kelly.

Both Tony and Jethro knew that the day was going to be horrible. They just didn't know how awful. Not even the rain could warn them what would happen.

It was a small funeral, just family and close friends. Kathryn sat next to Tony. Her hand in his. Jethro was on his other side. Maddie was the only friend of Kelly's who came. Tears were streaming down her pink cheeks. Jeremy was sitting a few rows back, Kristina in his arms. Alex and Samantha were on either side of him. Sam was running her fingers through the baby's curls. Coral and the twins were behind them. People related to Shannon, people that Tony had never met, scattered around in groups of three or four.

However, right behind Tony was Jackson Gibbs... and his date, Linda.

Tony could sense the rage in his dad building up. He grabbed his wrist hoping to calm him down. The last thing either of them wanted was for Jethro to cause a scene. Though everyone present who knew about Jackson and Jethro's rocky relationship knew that there was going to be yelling later.

The only time Tony let go of Jethro's wrist was when he went up to do the eulogy. Jethro wasn't talking much yet. Gwen offered but Tony felt as though it was something that he had to do. It wasn't closure but he knew talking was a good way of coping.

"Shannon and Kelly were two of the best people I have ever met. They both kind, caring, happy, and loved to make others happy. They hated to see others upset and in their own unique ways would try to cheer them up.

"My mom loved to smile. That used to confuse me. I couldn't understand why a person would smile for no reason. But she did have a reason to smile. She was genuinely happy with her life. Sure Mom hated it when dad and I were deployed overseas but she also understood why we did it. She supported us and helped us make decisions. She never made them for us even though she always made her opinion known.

"Mom taught me the meaning of family. For that, I thank her. It gave me a reason to live; really live and not just let life pass me by. Live in the moment and never carry any regrets. If you want something, go for it." Tony took a deep breath before he continued.

"If there's one way to describe Kelly that would be a little ball of innocence. She could see the good in everything and everyone. Yet, that innocence never clouded her judgment. She somehow always knew when a person was trustworthy. Mostly she trusted her and those who truly loved her. She trusted me.

"I never really thought about having siblings before I met Kelly. I never realized what I was missing. Now that she's gone I know exactly what I lost and would give anything to get that back.

"Mom and Kelly, as well as my dad, were everything that I had ever wanted in a family." He walked over to the coffins and gave each one a kiss. "I love you Mom, Squirt."

Tony sat back down between Jethro and Kathryn. He soon found himself wrapped in Kathryn's arms and Jethro squeezed his shoulder. They were the only family he had left now.

* * *

It had stopped raining by the time the service was over. Tony had headed home to prepare for the wake while Jethro supervised the burials. Unfortunately for Tony, Jackson decided to take Linda back to the house. That made things uncomfortable for everyone.

Tony had nothing against the woman, but she didn't even know the girls. Linda simply didn't belong at the funeral. Everyone else there were somewhat impacted by something Shannon or Kelly did for them. Even the Hayes twins looked up to her as a second mom.

He was annoyed that Jackson followed him into the kitchen. He wanted to get as far away from the old man as possible... several state lines was preferable. Right now he didn't need to hear about how he had destroyed the family.

"You going to hang around here now that Shannon's gone?" Tony couldn't believe how insensitive he was. He was talking about their deaths as though they had just moved away and left him and Jethro behind.

"I live here. Why wouldn't I stay?" Tony sighed what felt like the millionth time that week. "What do you want from me Jack? I never done anything to you." He glared at Jackson, daring him not to answer. It was scary how much he looked like Jethro at that moment. However, Jackson stood his ground.

"You stole my boy from me!" he shouted, drawing Linda and Kathryn's attention. They stood by the door, not knowing how things would end.

Tony muttered something not too polite under his breath in Italian, thankful that no one understood what it was he said. "That is the most absurd thing I have ever heard. Dad never talks about you. I can only assume, something he has taught me not to do, that you pushed him away!"

He went back to his work. Right now ignoring Jackson Gibbs was his best option. Usually he hated doing that to his elders but he needed to get his temper back in line. He couldn't understand the man. He was very possessive of Jethro when they were around each other but otherwise he didn't seem to acknowledge the fact that he even had a son... he was far too much like his own father for his comfort. From what Tony remembered from the past few years, whenever Jackson called the phone was immediately given to Kelly. Even then the calls rarely lasted longer than ten minutes. No, Jackson Gibbs was the most confusing person he had ever met.

* * *

Jethro got home later than he planned. He just couldn't pull himself away from his girls. The wake was already in progress. No one noticed his late entrance because everyone was focused on the tension between Jackson and Tony. He had to separate them for everyone's sanity.

"Jack, basement now! Tony―"

"I gotcha, Dad." He headed upstairs like he was told.

The tension was gone when they left. After getting a drink, he followed Jackson downstairs. Tony could wait. He had the punching bag to keep him occupied.

"You want to tell me what's going on?" demanded Jethro.

"There isn't anything to tell."

"I'm having a hard time believing that. What did you say to my son?"

"I just wanted to know when he was moving out. The boy has to be reaching twenty soon." He sounded sincere but Jethro knew he wasn't.

"I think you should leave. No one will be able to relax with you here." Jethro headed back upstairs.

"Why me? Why not the boy?" He still didn't know what Tony had over Jethro. It didn't make sense to him why his son wanted Tony to stay.

"Because he lives here. Why wouldn't he stay?" he unknowingly repeated Tony's words from earlier. "Goodbye Jack." He stormed back upstairs as best as he could with his crutches.

Tony wasn't at the punching bag when Jethro came to check on him. Instead he was laying on his bed with Kelly's locket dangling from his index finger. Jethro was surprised to see it though he didn't show it. Tony caught it anyways. He grabbed the little strawberry and gripped it tightly.

"I couldn't let them bury it." He sighed again.

"Hey, I understand."

Tony put the locket around his neck and hid it under his shirt.

"So, Grandpa left?" Jethro let out a laugh. It wasn't often that Tony referred to the old man as 'grandpa'. It was almost a relief that he could joke, even when there wasn't anything to joke about.

"Yup." He pause for a moment. "You and I are having a long talk later when everyone leaves."

Monday May 27, 1991

Jethro didn't know what Mike Franks wanted from him. He was told to leave Tony and home. So Jethro took Tony's key and went to Navy Yard, ignoring the pain in his knee.

When he got there he learned that there was nothing NIS could do to catch Hernandez. The Mexican government claimed they couldn't find him.

He barely registered that Franks left the room until he heard the door click shut. Jethro's movements became automatic. He quickly ruffled through the file and put them back when he had everything he needed.

Saturday June 8, 1991

Lying to Tony was the last thing Jethro wanted to do, but he didn't have a choice. He had to protect Tony from what he was planning. Tony had probably guessed. He did tell him that he was taking off for a few weeks but not where he was going. Nothing was more important than keeping Tony safe. If lying was the only way to do that, he would. He didn't want him to lie to NIS if it came down to it. If Tony didn't know what was going on he wouldn't have to.

Sunday June 16, 1991

Not hearing from his dad for so long was driving Tony insane. It was Father's Day and he didn't get the call he had been expecting. He needed to hear his dad's voice more than anything.

It wasn't the fact that he left that hut, it was the way he left. He didn't want his help. Jethro always went to him in the past when things got too hard... when he knew Shannon wouldn't understand.

Monday June 17, 1991

The beginning of Jethro's second week of no contact confirmed that he went after Hernandez. Tony was afraid he would end up dead as well. This was different than Jethro being in a war zone. He had people watching his six. Now he was alone. No one was there to keep him out of trouble... out of danger.

Being reassigned back to the Pentagon kept his mind busy for most of the day. But the moment he walked out the front door he started to worry again. It was impossible to keep his worries at bay. He didn't want to be alone. He wanted his dad back.

Tuesday June 18, 1991

Kathryn watched Tony play with his food. He was far too thin for his now six foot frame. She couldn't get him to eat. The only person who could was nowhere to be found. Jethro had to come back soon or Tony would end up getting sick... or worse.

Tony also wasn't talking to her. He talked but not about anything important. She asked their friends about it and they all said the same thing. Jeremy suspected that he was suffering from depression. He warned her to keep an eye on him but she wasn't sure how much longer she would be able to handle him being that way.

"Tony?" He looked at her but didn't respond otherwise. She suppressed a sigh. "Do you still want to marry me?"

He wasn't sure how to answer and it showed. "Kathryn, this isn't the time to worry about that." It was the wrong thing to say.

"Then when is the right time? I was accepted into Princeton. I need to know if I'm staying here with you or moving on."

"I won't stop you if you want to go." That was the last thing she wanted him to say. He had given up.

"Then I guess it's over between us." She looked down so that she could get control over her tears.

"I do love you, Kitten."

She leaned over the table and kissed him softly. "I know you do, but this time that isn't enough."

Monday June 24, 1991

It was 0300 when Jethro stumbled through the door. He was drunk. The bartender knew it when he called for the cab. The cabbie knew it when he gave him a fifty. Jethro definitely knew it, especially when he started to throw up. And Tony knew it. He was the one who made sure he got to the bathroom in time.

Tony had never seen Jethro drunk before. It scared him. His father was a violent drunk and he feared Jethro would be the same. Though it seemed he just became talkative. That was a relief for Tony until he heard what he had to say.

"I got him. I hunted him down and killed him. It doesn't make a difference. They're still gone. It still hurts that they aren't here. Hernandez's death isn't going to change that."

"You did the right thing, Dad. You always do the right thing."

"I don't think it was. I want you to understand that I don't regret what I did. I'm glad that I killed him. He deserved to die for what he did to us. Hernandez took everything from you."

"He took a lot from me but not everything. I still have you. Now, all we can do is try to heal. Just don't do anything stupid.... ever again."

"Alright, Son. I promise not to do anything stupid." Tony smiled when he was called son. Everything was going to be OK.

Monday July 8, 1991

Tony wasn't sure what to expect for his twentieth birthday. He didn't want a party or presents. He didn't even want a cake. His friends called to wish him a 'happy birthday' but conceded to his wishes that he didn't want to see anyone... well that could be said about any day since Kathryn left him.

But he couldn't get out of having dinner with Jethro. They went to a Moroccan restaurant that neither of them have ever been to. Tony thought that the choice was a bit odd but he suspected that he didn't want to go somewhere that reminded him of Shannon or Kelly.

It was at that dinner that Jethro told Tony his plans to leave the Corps and joining NIS as soon as his contract was up. Agent Franks had already assured him a place on his team when he was done with his training.

Tony wasn't sure how he felt about Jethro leaving the Corps. He was a Marine to his very core and wasn't the type to give that up. But he could understand why he was leaving. He would be home more often if he was an agent. He would support his decision because that is what Jethro would have done for him. It wouldn't be for another year before he could do that.

But a lot can happen in a year.

End of part one.

A/N The next chapter will be taking place about 10 years in the future. It will be part of the same story.


	14. May 2001

CBS and Paramount Pictures own NCIS.

You're to Blame

**You are to blame for anything that is good in my heart. You are to blame for this change that has taken me by storm. - Mercy Me**

Chapter Fourteen – May 2001

Tuesday May 1, 2001

Special Agent Anthony L. J. 'DiNozzo' Gibbs glanced at his partner, Jeremy Parkinson. The two of then have been working together for the past five years as an undercover operative duo for NCIS. This time Tony was posing as a Baltimore LEO and has been for the past six months. There had been rumors that a Baltimore cop had his eyes on Naval sailors visiting the city. So far they had no leads and eight near fatalities. They had all been beaten by police batons and they all were found in the same police district each less than a mile from each other. They suspected that it was a uniform that was attacking the sailors.

So Tony was sent in to find out who it was. It was his longest assignment since the fiasco back in '93 that resulted in a severely broken leg. That was before Jeremy was made his partner as the man behind the scene... that was due to the fact that Jeremy was a psychologist rather than a fully trained undercover agent. He didn't even carry a gun most of the time and when he did it was usually Tony's backup.

Tony's cover was that of a thirty-one-year-old detective, even though he was only twenty-nine. Being a rookie detective gave him more clearance into the department's mainframe than being a seasoned uniform. He thought it was more believable for him to play older than for him to use his real age. But he found nothing going in that direction.

Jeremy was just someone that Tony could bounce ideas off from since there were long periods of time that they were secluded from the rest of NCIS. When he was this deep undercover it was rare for him to even call his dad much less Director Morrow. His orders were clear that he wasn't to make contact unless he had a suspect and he had to be certain that he had the right guy.

And they still had nothing.

Monday May 7, 2001

They had another victim. This one didn't make it. Petty Officer Raymond Clay died before he even got to the hospital. He had been beaten just like the other eight... with a police baton. This time the blows to the petty officer's head was more than enough to end his life. He was wearing a wedding band. He hated cases like this.

Tony was lucky enough to be one of the first on the scene. Jeremy was set up across the street at a cafe with a listening device. He had to suppress a laugh as he listened to Tony arguing with his 'CO' about bringing in the 'no good, lazy feds' in on his case in his jurisdiction. Tony won in the end like he knew he would. Lieutenant Hanks was the brightest cop around.

It was impossible to keep the smirk off from his face. His detective partner, Gang Chen, had no idea what was going on with Tony but wisely didn't say anything. He mostly kept the unwanted spectators away from the scene. He also watched as Lieutenant Hanks and Tony continued to argue over jurisdiction. He knew that Tony was right... NCIS was in charge of murders involving Naval personnel. Though he had never even heard of the organization until he had meet Tony.

For most people it took an hour to get to Baltimore from Washington. Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs managed the trip in less than forty-five minutes. The Medical Examiner's truck wasn't that far behind.

Tony had never met his dad's ME and he was pretty certain the doctor didn't even know he existed. He probably didn't even know that Jethro had a son. It always amazed Tony how well Jethro could compartmentalize his personal and professional lives. For the first time they were about to collide. This should be fun.

He introduced himself to the ME first. "I'm Tony DiNozzo." He shook the other man's hand and introduced Lieutenant Hanks and Detective Chen.

"Dr. Donald Mallard." Tony had already known this but it was nice to put a face to a name. "Now, show me the body, young man." Though the accent was a bit of a surprise... however it was obvious why his dad didn't tell him about it. He was still a huge James Bond fan.

"Right this way Doc. I didn't touch the body but his ID was several feet from his body." He handed the wallet to Jethro. "Sorry, I didn't get your name."

"That's because I didn't give it to you yet." The both of them were trying to suppress laughter. "Duck, what do you have?"

"Jethro, what have I told you about your manners. Introduce yourself to the lads so we can actually work together peacefully for once!"

"Agent Gibbs." He looked at Hanks and Chen but ignored Tony who was still trying to contain his laughter. "Now, what do we have?"

"Blunt force trauma, I'm afraid," mused 'Duck'. "Time of death is about 2300 last night."

"That would be the same time our other victims were attacked," supplied Chen.

"Other victims?" asked Gibbs.

"They all survived," answered Hanks. "Didn't see no reason to bring in the feds for them."

Ducky ignored the incompetent man's comment. "Well, I'm done here Jethro. When you're done I'll be taking our boy back home."

* * *

It was several hours later when Tony, Jeremy, and Jethro were holed up in Tony's overly lavish apartment. Files were everywhere. The one Jethro was currently going through was an NCIS profile on possible characteristics of the killer. He was grateful that it was written in Jeremy's neat script and rather than Tony's messy scrawl. The word 'psychopath' stood out more clearly than anything else on the paper. That didn't bode too well with Jethro.

Every person Tony and Jeremy had checked out had come back clean. But they didn't have the resources they needed while working in the field. If they wanted to solve this case they had to do it back in Washington. It had been years since Tony had been to headquarters. He wasn't sure if he was looking forward to going back.

Going to Washington could cause a few unwanted problems. It could blow his cover... at least to Ducky. In fact, only a handful of people knew who he really was and most of those that did didn't care. Tony planned to keep it that way as long as possible.

Jeremy let out a frustrated sigh. "We won't be getting anything done tonight. Besides, I have to go get Kristy. Her babysitter charges double if I'm more than an hour late," he explained to Jethro.

Wednesday May 8, 2001

Tony sat across from his dad's empty desk. Jeremy was sitting diagonal from him. They had been there since 0630 and it was now 0945, meaning Jethro was on a coffee run. Tony was hoping that he would bring one back for him. He was drained and he knew that Jeremy had to be as well.

He was amazed by how much info he was finding. They still didn't have a suspect but they had been able to narrow down the search. Plus, with Ducky's skills they had a probable physical profile.

They were so engrossed with their work that they didn't even notice the black and white blur that entered the bullpen. But they did notice her demanding (and somewhat rude) voice asking for Gibbs.

"Who are you?" she asked, suspicious.

"I'm Tony. That's Jeremy Parkinson." Tony didn't even look at the girl. However. Jeremy did.

"We're... we are working on a case... you know, with Gibbs," Jeremy's stuttered. That caused Tony to raise his head.

"Abby?" She stared him down and that made Tony to smile widely. She nodded reluctantly. "Good. What do you have on my victim?"

"I work for Gibbs, not for a couple of spoiled LEO's."

"I'm a psychologist."

"Not helping, Jeremy!" snapped Tony.

Then the most welcomed person arrived. "What have you got for me, Abs?" He sat down coffee in front of Tony and Jeremy, surprising Abby. He withheld the Caf-Pow.

"Peanut oil―"

"From the bottom of the petty officer's shoes," said Tony.

"How did you know that?"

"Some of the local bars use peanut oil on the floors... that includes cop bars. It does keep the stingier bars from smelling like stale beer, not that I ever go to those kinds of bars unless it was work related." He appeased Jethro. "Maybe Petty Officer Clay, and the others, wandered into one. I'll get the BPD to send over the personal effects of the other victims over here."

Jethro agreed to his assessment. "I want a list of those bars Jeremy. Tony, you're with me. We're going back to Baltimore. E-mail Tony that list, or whatever you have to do, before we get to Baltimore."

* * *

Abby Sciuto was confused. It was that LEO's fault. Gibbs didn't like Leo's but for some reason she couldn't explain, he liked this one. She swore that the next time she saw Gibbs she was going to check the back of his neck for a little red X. There was no way that was the real Gibbs.

Then there was the fact that she didn't even know the LEO's last name. She couldn't enter 'Tony' in her search engine and expect easy results. It was too common of a name. And that Dr. Parkinson wasn't talking. Asking him questions about Tony would cause him to calm up.

Little more than an hour later she had eight bags of evidence to go through. She would dwell on the mystery that was Tony when she had more time.

* * *

There were only minutes to spare when Jeremy sent Tony the list of bars. Fortunately there weren't too many. They went to the non-cop bars first. None of the bartenders recognized any of the victims, not that Tony and Jethro were expecting to. It was the third cop bar that they went to that they got results. The bartender, a former cop himself, recognized six out of the nine men.

They found the common link.

Tuesday May 9, 2001

The two of them spent another night in Baltimore. Tony had to check in with Lieutenant Hanks, something he forgot to do the day before. He just didn't expect the entire department to hate him... or for Chen to arrest him for murder.

Another petty officer had been killed, Tomas Garcia. Only Tony didn't report in when Hanks called everyone in.

Tony quickly and discreetly slipped his cell phone to Jethro so Hanks couldn't confiscate it. Hopefully he could get Abby to do a trace on it. He didn't have a land line so he didn't have to worry about that.

He couldn't believe that he was being framed for murder again. No, he didn't think that he was a simple misunderstanding. Someone was setting him up for a fall. Someone wanted this to happen.

* * *

"The killer changed his MO. Before he only killed once or twice every few months. Now he believes was close to catching him and―"

"And Tony is the scapegoat." Jethro interrupted Jeremy.

"Essentially, yes. When Tony failed to report in yesterday he made himself the perfect target."

No one but Jeremy saw the anguish in Jethro's eyes. "I have to fix this."

"All they have is circumstantial evidence that doesn't even exist. I checked Tony's cell. There was no phone call," reported Abby.

"Jeremy, do a full background on Hanks. I'm going to need a warrant for his shoes.

"Does he know something that he's not telling me?"

"Probably. But with Gibbs you can never tell," replied Abby before she went back to her work.

* * *

Getting the warrant was for Hanks' house, office, and every pair of shoes he owned was surprisingly easy to get his hands on. Since his team currently consisted of an ME, a psychologist, and a forensic scientist he was ordered to take two other teams of agents with him. Jethro was thankful that none of them were probies and had at least some experience.

Lieutenant Hanks house was a modest two story just out side the city limits. His wife was home, protesting as the agents tore apart her home. One of the agents found a fake wall in the basement. There were ten police issued batons behind it.

"I want a UV in here!" ordered Jethro. They were all stained with blood. As they were being bagged Jethro ordered the second team to detain but not arrest Hanks. He wanted the pleasure for himself.

* * *

Tony was sitting in interrogation when he was finally rescued. The whole time he sat there he had a little smile on him face. It kinda scared his now former co-workers. His smile only widened when he saw Jethro storming the room, ordering his release.

"What took you so long? You know how much I hate not talking."

"Traffic."

Knowing that he was probably frantic about not being in the loop, Tony called Jeremy with Jethro's cell phone. Jethro didn't like the way that Tony was paling the longer he was on the phone.

"Jeremy found a motive." He was never more thankful that Hanks wasn't riding with them. "His step-brother was killed seven months ago. He was a Navy Lieutenant Commander. It was an accident―"

They were interrupted by the phone.

"Gibbs' phone... I've experienced worse... I'll tell him... No, I won't cut my hand. I like my blood right where it is." Jethro quirked an eyebrow at that. "That was Abby," he explained, as if anyone else would ask him to purposely spill blood. "She did another tox screen on Clay. He had a rare... something in his blood. Jeremy said that the wife was a chemist at the university. She's being arrested as we speak."

"But...."

"But I can't help thinking that someone―"

"Someone else is involved." He sharply turned the car around.

"Where are we going?" yelped Tony.

He didn't answer. Instead he told him to grab his backup. He followed his orders like he was trained to do and remained silent for the rest of the ride. He finally understood where they were going when he recognized his surroundings.

The bar was closed when they got there but it wasn't completely empty. Richard Coleman, the bartender and cousin to Hanks, was there. He had a shotgun and was ready to use it.

"NCIS! Drop your weapon, Coleman!" shouted Tony expertly.

Coleman ducked behind the bar. He shot off a few rounds that narrowly missed Tony. Jethro had more firepower so he retaliated first, grazing Coleman's shoulder. Coleman didn't stand down. Tony went to take his own shot. Coleman fired fired just as Tony peeked around the corner, leaving himself unprotected. The shot landed in Tony's abdomen. Coleman froze in shock of what he had done. That gave Jethro the chance to shoot. The bullet got him right between the eyes. He was at Tony's side before Coleman hit the ground.

One hand was pressed to the heavily bleeding wound while the other called for an ambulance. The was breathing erratically but he was unconscious. That scared Jethro more than any shootout.

Thursday May 10, 2001

The hours that Tony was in surgery felt like days. This was the first time his son had been severely injured. In fact, the only time he came close was when he was undercover at Ohio State back in '93. But even what could have been a possibly career ending broken leg wasn't as bad as this.

Tony had been shot before. It came with the territory of being an OSP agent But those times he had been wearing a Kevlar or was just grazed. This time there was a chance he wasn't going to make it. It was the first time he was there to witness it.

It was just after 0100 when Tony's doctor interrupted his thoughts of all the injuries Tony had since he became an agent.

"Agent DiNozzo is very fortunate. He sustained some mild internal bleeding when the bullet pierced his spleen. However, we were able to save it. Next time he won't be so lucky. Right now he's still in recovery but we'll move him to his own room within the hour. Any questions?"

"When will it be safe to airlift him to Bethesda?"

"The naval hospital? I thought you guys were FBI." Jethro glared. "Saturday afternoon."

* * *

By late afternoon Tony was still hadn't woken up. He had a similar reaction to anesthesia before so Jethro wasn't that worried. Well, he was a little worried. But any dad would be if their child was injured. Didn't matter how old that child was.

Ducky was watching him. He knew his behavior wouldn't be considered normal if he and Tony were practically strangers. So he forced himself not to touch him too often or show any other outward sign of fatherly affection. He was desperate to comfort Tony. He had no choice but to wait until he was sure Ducky was gone.

"I'm giving him a spot on my team, Jeremy as well." He told this to Ducky once he was sure Tony was awake to hear him. "I already got the go ahead from Tom. Took some convincing that we need a psychologist." Actually, the hard part was convincing Marrow to let him work with his son. He had no problem with Jeremy. They had to follow some conditions such as no one can learn the truth about their relationship for one and Tony's past with OSP had to remain confidential.

"Yes, I can understand why you would want the young men. This one can't very well stay here in Baltimore after the way he had been treated by his co-workers." He nodded toward Tony. "Dr. Parkinson, I have never meet anyone quite like him. Despite his youth he is very insightful."

Even though his drugged hazed mind, Tony understood what was going on. But he couldn't remain quiet for much longer. It didn't even matter to him whether what he said made sense or not.

"This room is too white." His voice sounded harsh.

Jethro hid his amusement. "Hey, how are you feeling?" He gave in to his urge to touch by brushing back a strand of his (in Jethro's opinion) ridiculously long hair. Ducky was amazed by how much the younger man relaxed under the simple gesture.

"Like I was shot." Jethro smiled despite himself at the answer. You don't need a truth serum to get him to be honest. Just give him an aspirin or two and you'll get similar results.

"You were."

"Did you get him?"

"Yup." Jethro saw the pain in his eyes. "Time for you to go back to sleep."

"But I just woke up," he whined.

"Sleep now. We'll talk later."

Sunday May 13, 1001

Tony made a point to visit Shannon's grave every year if possible. This year it wasn't possible. He was still stuck in Bethesda. He hated that he was so close to Arlington but couldn't do anything to do get out. He would always bring white carnations with him. She loved the red ones he bought her when she was alive.

He had to let Jethro take her the flowers by himself. He didn't like it when his dad went to see them without him. The older man always came back depressed and gave out more head slaps than usual.

Friday May 18, 2001

Abby was a scientist. She would encounter a problem, look at it from all angles, and find a solution. But she had never encountered a problem like DiNozzo, as she finally learned his last name to be. It was easy to find information from his youth, his father was well known enough. Then when he was seventeen he disappeared not to reappear until '93 as a college athlete. Then he broke his leg and once again vanished without a trace. Now Gibbs found him after too many years. That meant one thing. DiNozzo was a ghost. Whether he was a good ghost or a bad ghost she hadn't decided yet.

Dr. Parkinson was also a ghost but his trail ended only five years ago. It was difficult to find the information but she did find a lot on him... just nothing substantial. That was hinky in its own way but he wasn't her main concern.

However, Gibbs trusted them and she trusted Gibbs. So that had to count for something.

Monday May 21, 2001

Being sent home from the hospital had a different meaning from the last time Tony got hurt because this time he really was going home. Apparently apartment hunting was too stressful on his healing body. All he wanted was a newspaper so that he could send Jeremy out to look at them .

Jeremy wanted to live in the same area as Tony... preferable the same building. As long as it wasn't Georgetown anywhere Tony choose was fine with him. He wouldn't say no to a good school district. Kristy did deserve at least that much after being home-schooled for so long. However, until Tony was able, or rather allowed, to leave the house they were all living at Jethro's house. The house hadn't been that full in ten years other than for holidays. Jethro knew he was going to dread the day they moved out. He liked having his family around.

Thursday May 24, 2002

Even after all these years the basement was the most peaceful place in the entire house. Tony went down there to tell to get Kristy ready for bed. She grudgingly went up but Tony stayed, enjoying watching and listening to his dad work.

"You haven't worked on a new boat since you broke things off with Diane." Tony didn't see Jethro cringe at the name of his ex-girlfriend. Otherwise, he ignored the remark.

"If you get an infection I'll personally see to it that you are taken back to Bethesda," he growled.

"I'm not going to get an infection. Jeremy has me wrapped up so tight I can't even bend at the waist. No bug will be able to get in. Actually, he seems to think that we have something I need to say to you and only you."

"Do you?"

"No." Jethro quirked an eyebrow. "Yes..... This is the first case that I played an actual investigator and I failed to complete my mission. I had to call you to finish it for me."

"What happened?"

The mission wasn't classified to Jethro, none of them were, but he still hesitated to tell him.

"I was sent in blind. No concrete suspects, no evidence that anyone at that department was even involved. That had never happened to me. When I infiltrate an organization I always have a suspect and at least circumstantial evidence.

"I should have known better when Hanks put me and Gang on as leads to that case. Gang is a good guy but I have no clue how he made detective. I even had to remind him to wear gloves while handling evidence."

"You had other cases." That made sense. He was supposed to be playing a detective.

"Yeah. I only worked the beatings with Jeremy during my down time. Hanks wouldn't let me process anything because none of them died. He claimed that he believed the attacks were random muggings. I tried doing it myself but he caught me and I nearly got suspended for it. Hanks called it 'a wasteful use of limited resources'. He probably didn't want me to connect him to the crimes."

"Your other cases, did you solve them?"

"Yeah, I only had three other cases. And I had to help the other departments, trafficking had plenty of uses for me." He cocked his head to the side, trying to understand his point.

"Tony, you were in an impossible position, no evidence and being stonewalled by someone that you should have been able to trust. You did good.

"Besides, if you hadn't been arrested I would have never suspected Hanks."

A/N Well, I'm finally getting closer to the series. I'm not sure what I am going to do with Ice Queen and Melt Down but I'm open to suggestions. I have never seen those episodes.


	15. June 2001

CBS and Paramount Pictures own NCIS.

You're to Blame

**You are to blame for anything that is good in my heart. You are to blame for this change that has taken me by storm. - Mercy Me**

Chapter Fifteen – June 2001

Monday June 4, 2001

It was Tony's first official day as a field agent. Before leaving his new apartment he clutched the little strawberry locket before he put it around his neck. It was his good luck charm.

When he arrived Jethro was waiting for him just behind the security guard's desk. He showed the guard the brand new ID the director sent him and was allowed to pass. Apparently Jethro was told to give the same tour that they gave to probies... they had to keep up appearances. The tour was mostly laughable. He had been to the building many times before. Though two years had passed since his return. Plus, there were some places in the building he hadn't been to, such as autopsy.

Dr. Mallard was elbow deep in a cadaver when they arrived. That didn't bother Tony. He had seen a few autopsies performed while he was a 'cop'. But when he pulled out the spleen it was too much for Tony. It was a reminder of his own injured spleen. It was enough to make him to go over to the sink and vomit.

"Oh, my! Weak stomach?" asked Mallard.

Tony shook his head but Jethro answered for him. "Weak spleen."

The doctor didn't understand at first, then he realized who Jethro was with. "Ah, well I am sorry about that, dear boy."

"Don't apologize," Tony gasped. "Sign of weakness."

Mallard looked at Tony curiously. He heard that phrase from Jethro many times. But he realized that there was a chance it was coincidence. John Wayne was a well known actor... the lad probably saw the movie. "Well, sit down over by the desk and I'll see to it that you get some ginger ale."

"No!" cried two voices.

"Tony's allergic to ginger. Had to learn that the hard way." Jethro grimaced at the memory. It was Tony's ginger allergy that finally made Shannon stop making ginger snaps. She was the only one in the family that liked the little cookies. Jethro didn't explain how he knew about the allergy to Mallard.

"I'm fine Dr. Mallard," Tony said this while looking at Jethro. The two of them were having a silent conversation. After a moment he looked over at the doctor. "Can I just..." he nodded toward the chair.

"Of course, please sit. And call me Ducky!"

* * *

By lunch most, well actually everyone, heard about what happened in autopsy. Most were sympathetic, remembering their own experience in autopsy. Others, like Jeremy and Abby, felt glee. Jeremy because of how Tony would always boast about his supposed iron stomach. Abby because she knew Gibbs had kicked people off his team for less. It was reasonable to think that he would do the same thing with Tony. In her mind he wasn't any different from any of the other new recruits. He just had the advantage of working on a case with Gibbs before he was hired.

It wasn't long after the story began spreading that an incomplete version of what happened in Baltimore started to leak out. Tony spotted Morrow out on the catwalk and suspected that he had something to do with the rumors but he couldn't prove anything. Not that he wanted to. He was smart enough to just let things go.

Wednesday June 6, 2001

When you're told to grab your gear you had better go it quickly and efficiently. It didn't matter to Special Agent if you lacked the ability or experience to do that. You had a job and you were expected to complete it. That was true psychologists as well as agents. Tony was used to working that way. Jeremy was not. By the time he had grabbed his gear the other two men were halfway to the elevator. He had to rush to keep up and slid between the doors right before they closed.

The body of a Marine was found twenty miles out side Base Quantico in his car, a classic 1958 silver Chevrolet Corvette. Gibbs ignored Tony as he began to spout off everything that he knew about the car. He kept talking even as he examined the crime scene. For one thing, he couldn't wait until he was given the go ahead to look under the hood. The only downside was that he was going to have to wait until they got back to headquarters. That was a sure way to get himself into trouble if he did it before hand.

Jeremy's job would have talking to witnesses but there were any except for the couple who found the Marine. They didn't know anything and he believed them. He was given a camera without any instructions on what to do with it. His FLETC training was very different from Tony's

"Just shoot what's important without disturbing the body. Some medical examiners are twitchy about being the first to touch a victim."

"Is that so, Anthony?" said Ducky from behind them. He didn't notice Tony's flinch but Jeremy saw it.

"Um Ducky, no one had called him Anthony since 1988. It isn't a good idea to call him that."

Ducky was confused. "Anthony is a strong name. It dates back to―"

"I know Ducky. I just prefer 'Tony'. You can call me whatever you want."

"Tony..." began Jeremy.

"It's fine Jeremy. It is my name. Now, let's get back to work. Time of death, Ducky?"

* * *

Marshal Brant was a thirty-two-year-old sergeant stationed at Quantico. His CO had nothing bad to say about him. He was divorced, had been for about two years, father of three boys. He would try to visit as much as his ex-wife would allow. According to his CO, he was a good father. His ex was just mad that he had meet someone new.

Tony and Jeremy were sent out to talk to both of the women. The current girlfriend, Elaine Bligh, lived closer to Quantico but in the opposite direction Brant was heading. Plus the ex lived in Georgetown, making it easier to talk to her first.

Lacy Brant genuinely seemed upset that Sergeant Brant was dead... and very surprised. He was supposed to have the kids for the rest of the week, a camping trip to Appalachia. She did admit that she didn't like the new girlfriend and the there was noway that she would let any of her boys anywhere near her.

Neither of them said a word until they were both in the sedan with Tony behind the wheel. Jeremy was the first one to speak.

"She's still in love with him."

"Yeah, I saw that too. I don't think she did it. She isn't capable of doing it." said Tonyy

"No. You're wrong about that. Lacy Brant is very capable of killing our sergeant. If she felt her children were being threatened she would be more than capable. We have to be careful around her and don't let her think that we are threats."

"But how was Sergeant Brant a threat?"

"Isn't that your job to figure out?" joked Jeremy.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I won't appreciate all the help I can get."

* * *

When you find local LEO's at your suspect's condo it's never a good thing. When those LEO's are there because the suspect had been kidnapped about an hoout before your victim was killed was even worse. Neither of them wanted to be the one the break the news that Ms. Bligh was missing to Jethro... though telling bad news to the boss would only get easier with time... maybe.

Jethro didn't blame the boys. In this case, the disappearance of a suspect because they were also a victim made it so that they had no suspects. He ordered Tony to get everything that the LEO's collected for evidence and try to figure out what exactly to Ms. Bligh. He wanted to know everyone who was in and out of that condo. He wanted to know that yesterday.

Thursday June 7, 2001

Everyone knows that the longer a person has been kidnapped the more unlikely it would be to find that person alive, especially if there's no demand for ransom. Those kidnappers were more dangerous in Jethro's mind. They are more likely to get violent because there is no incentive to keep the victim unharmed.

Abby was unable to find matches for the fingerprints Tony lifted at the condo. However, a few of those prints matched some that were in the car. Oddly enough there were only three sets of prints found in the Corvette. None of them were small enough to belong to a child. That was a bit strange.

Tony suddenly stopped going through Bligh's records and shot out of his chair toward the elevator. Jeremy went after him.

"Where are we going?"

"Evidence garage. Don't you find it a bit odd that Brant was taking a Corvette on a camping trip? That he didn't have any gear with him?"

"What are you looking for?"

Tony looked at him for a moment before answering. "I don't know."

It did take long for Tony for find something.

* * *

Once again Abby was not happy. She couldn't believe that she missed those hairs that Tony found in the trunk. She did a comparative DNA test on a sample that was from Elaine's hairbrush and found that they were a match. But all the really proved was the fact Elaine was near the trunk while it was open. However, everything Tony said made sense.

'No, DiNozzo," Abby mentally chided herself. She refused to let him charm her like he did with just about every other female in the building. He knew he was charming and used that charm to get whatever he wanted. Abby knew this because he tried to use it on her, not that it worked... often.

Despite the fact she knew Tony- DiNozzo- was charming, she couldn't see what Gibbs saw in him. She doubted that the youngest member of the team charmed Gibbs. For one thing, it wouldn't work. For another, the two of them just seemed to click like yin and yang. Gibbs didn't have that kind of reaction toward her and they were close as blood now. He was _her_ protector.

It was with those thoughts that Abby realized something... she was jealous and afraid that she was going to lose her spot as Gibbs favorite. She was also being unfair to Tony. He really did seem like one of the good guys and that was rare to find.

That didn't mean she trusted him. He was a ghost after all.

* * *

Gibbs a Tony returned to Lacy Brant's house. This time they came with a warrant and a strong desire to arrest her. They were certain they had enough proof to put her away for a very long time. But Gibbs didn't care about the evidence. He wanted a confession... especially since she left her kids without any parents. That was unforgivable.

Tony searched the entire house but he found no trace of Elaine. He didn't expect to find anything but it would have made his job a whole lot easier if her had.

Tony and Jeremy watched Lacy as she paced the interrogation room. She was acting like a caged animal. Nervous and exceedingly jumpy. Her eyes went to Jethro as he entered.

"I didn't take her, but I think I know who did." Jethro motioned for her to sit.

"Well?"

"My dad is a pastor. When it come to marriage he can be very strict. Once you're married you're always married. A piece of paper saying otherwise means nothing to him. If he found out Marshal was seeing someone new... Dad would see it as the ultimate sin against me."

"Where?"

"Tennessee. Dad has a horse farm out in the middle of nowhere." Gibbs pushed a notebook in front of her.

"Address."

Behind the glass Tony and Jeremy were impressed. "Interrogation in three words. That has got to be some kind of a record," breathed Tony.

Monday June 11, 2001

It wasn't until late Sunday that the team got back from Tennessee. That didn't matter because they still had to be at work the next day. Reports had to be written and paperwork had to be filled.

And Jethro had to report to the director. That left Tony and Jeremy to guess why Morrow wanted to see him. The ideas only got wilder the longer they were alone.

"They might be talking about me," said a woman's cool voice that they never heard before. She was a red-head. For Tony that translated into 'not good for sanity'.

"You are..."

"Vivian Blackadder."

* * *

Jethro's eyes were steely with defiance. "No! Not just 'no' but hell no." I don't need another person on my team. I will do fine with Tony and Jeremy!"

"This isn't up for debate Agent Gibbs. Blackadder had become a loose cannon, more so than you. It's becoming dangerous to those around her."

"You want me to try to reign her in?" asked Jethro.

"At this point you may be the only person that can. Enforce your rules but don't scare her off. I don't have any more teams that I can put her on."

"What about putting her on as an agent afloat? That usually sets people straight."

"Read that file... it will explain everything."

Wednesday June 13, 2001

The amount of paperwork Vivian was going through was pure torture. She hadn't seen this much paper since she was a probie with the FBI. Though, in Gibbs' eyes she still was a probie. It didn't matter to him that she had nearly seven years under her belt as agent, six at the Bureau and eight months with NCIS. She was as experienced as they come.

It was also painfully obvious that she was older than DiNozzo. That had to count for something... like maturity. No one would deny that she was far more mature than Tony on a good day.

She wasn't the one constantly chattering on and on about the most obscure movies. And not just the plots, it was the actors, the producers, and directors. He probably could tell her who the make-up artists and set designers were if she cared to ask, which she didn't.

Tossing the file she was copying into a box she stormed out of the tiny office. She wasn't going to be treated like a grunt when there were more important things she could be doing.

* * *

Jethro wasn't sure when the tradition started, but whenever Tony and (more recently) Jeremy and Kristina came home from an op they would have a movie night once a week with each other. Often Alex and Samantha would join them with their kids, Addison (7), Peyton (5), and Darby (3). Tonight was one of those nights.

The younger kids fought over who got to sit in 'Grandpa Jethro's' lap. As usual it was little Darby that beat her brother for the favored spot. Peyton had a weakness for the little girl's tears. He was a protector for his two sisters and 'cousin', despite being six years younger than Kristina. If she wanted to sit with grandpa then there was no other choice but to let her.

For the kids they were playing _102 Dalmatians. _They never played animated movies, Kelly loved all of the older Disney films. It would have been torture to make Jethro watch them after all these years. The kids didn't care that they weren't animated. Kristina was actually relieved... she was 'too old' for those kinds of movies. Peyton and Darby liked the puppies.

Darby was the first one to fall asleep. The movie wasn't even half over when Sam put her upstairs. One by one the others passed out from sheer exhaustion. Kristy was forcing herself to stay awake so she could see the end of the movie.

After Jeremy herded his daughter up the bedroom to share a bed with Addison, Tony pulled out several movies from his collection for Jethro to chose from. The older man frowned when he saw that his favorite movie wasn't there.

"No _Air Force One_?" He ignored the sighs of relief coming from his guests. It was a good movie so they had no reason to complain.

"I thought you might like a change from your usual political thriller." _A Good Few Men _was also missing from the pile. But no one was really that surprised by what he did choose. It also caused Alex to whine about it.

"_Down Periscope_? Did you have to chose something that is so mind numbing?" It really wasn't Hollywood's finest moments. It could have been compared to an Ed Wood film.

"Lauren Holly." No explanation was needed there but it did earn Tony a head slap.

"Ow! Aren't I getting a little old for those."

Jethro kept his hand where he smacked him. "Nope." Tony glared at him while his friends laughed. "You'll never be too old." He patted his cheek and handed him the movie. No need to give up the chance to stare at a redhead for the next few hours... Besides the actress reminded him of someone. He just couldn't think of who it was.

* * *

The movie was half over when they heard knocking at the door. They weren't expecting anyone, causing the NCIS personnel to freeze. Jethro went to see who it was and was surprised to see Agent Blackadder on the other side. He gestured to Tony, using Marine hand signals, for him to that the others upstairs to hide. He didn't want to think about what would happen if she caught Tony and Jeremy watching a movie at his house. Grabbing evidence of their presence, the four of them hurried up the stairs. Alex and Sam were confused but followed their friends' lead.

Jeremy took the couple to Kelly's old room where the kids were sleeping but Tony stayed on the stairs. He wanted to know what Blackadder wanted. She didn't disappoint. Her tirade began before Jethro even let her in.

"If you're trying to make me quit, it's not working. You don't scare me and your golden boys don't scare me. Nothing you do will make me go away. I am good at my job! Giving me an endless pile of isn't the best way to use my skills."

"Are you finished Agent Blackadder?"

"Yes."

"Do you know why you keep switching to different teams?"

"No, do you?" she snipped.

"If you stick around long enough maybe you'll figure it out. Now, go home Agent Blackadder. I don't want to see you again until 0700. That's an order."

When Tony was sure that Blackadder was gone he let the others out of the room. He had a lot of explaining to do. Alex and Sam were never meant top get mixed up in this. He started talking before they even asked what was going on. Neither of them were expecting him to tell them that he was basically living a double life of sorts.

"Your entire life is confidential?" asked Alex, wanting a simple answer.

"Most of it. I have to be very careful around other people. The only other person in DC who knows everything is Director Morrow. The person you know, Tony Gibbs, does not exist outside this group."

"You're going to tell the others?"

"I have to Dad. I should have said something sooner but I didn't think I would have to hide my friends. But then I realized that it would be more dangerous if they didn't know that they know who I really am. This place was supposed to be a sanctuary but that can't happen if people from the agency drop by while I am here."

"So, can we finish the movie now?" asked Samantha, defusing a tense situation.

Tony thought that his would have been angry with him. He was basically lied to them about why he and Jeremy were staying in Washington full time now. They understood that he was trying to keep his two worlds separate.

Thursday June 14, 2001

Vivian was confused. Gibbs had just ordered her to stay away from his house unless it was an emergency or if he gave her permission. She couldn't picture the latter happening any time soon. He was a private man who was unlikely going to want to have a subordinate around his home. Grudgingly, she accepted the order. It wasn't as though she had plans to go over ever again.

Sunday June 17, 2001 (Father's Day)

No one was sure how they got this weekend off. As far as anyone at the agency knew only Vivian had a family. Everyone knew that Tony's father was in prison and had been for over a decade. Jethro and Jeremy's pasts were mysteries. People were too scared to question Jethro. Jeremy rarely spoke to anyone other than professionally. He wouldn't answer without getting suspicious first.

What those people didn't know, and never will know, was that Tony and Jethro had been separated for the pat three years on Father's Day due to Tony's missions of Jethro would get a case. Morrow owed it to them.

After Kelly died the two of them never returned to the batting cages they went to every year. It was too hard to go back. Instead they stayed at home playing basketball and worked on the never ending stream of boats. Tony wasn't sure what happened to them all but he knew that as least two of them were nothing more than a pile of ashes. He still didn't know how he got them out of the basement.

Mostly they worked in companionable silence with Tony humming random songs when the quiet was too much for him. These days were rare, the kind of days that they could just relax. They were going to relish it for as long as possible.

Tuesday June 19,2001

When you deal with death on a daily basis you gain a new appreciation for life. With all his experience with both, that was especially true for Ducky. To understand death he first had to understand life. He had to understand the complexities of how the human body worked, how each part worked separately and yet together at the same time.

But not even the human body was as complex as the dynamics of team Gibbs. Like the human body they all worked separately yet together... with one exception, Vivian. It was as if the body was blind and Viv was the eyes. The rest of the team guided her but she was still fumbling around in the dark. She was a good agent but she really didn't seem to fit with the others no matter how hard she tried.

Jethro obviously didn't trust Viv. He was careful that she followed every order exactly how he told her. He didn't have her do anything unreasonable. However, he did punish her when she didn't do what he asked. Again, it wasn't anything unreasonable.

Ducky had never seen Jethro bond with anyone as quickly as he did with Tony and Jeremy. He had taken to the young men as though he had known them for years. He was closer to these two than he ever was with any of his other team members... not even Jenny could claim this.

It was the relationship between Tony and Jethro that intrigued him. Sometimes it was as though they could read each others minds. They always knew when the other was nearby. It was odd that they showed behaviors that suggested years of familiarity that shouldn't have been there.

When he learned that that Tony and Jeremy went to school together it didn't really surprise Ducky. It answered a lot of questions about the two of them; about why they acted more like brothers than like partners. Their ages told him that they were in separate classes but that didn't seem to fit the two men. He asked both about their schooling but they were evasive and extremely vague. The answers were very practiced as though they knew that they were going to be asked these questions.

He wasn't used to not having his questions answered. With Jethro it was always easier to observe rather than to ask out right about what was going on. Otherwise he may never get any answers. Ducky just hoped that it didn't take too long before he got those answers.

A/N I have my own reasons for picking Addison, Peyton, and Darby as the names for Alex and Sam's kids... but two brownie points to anyone who can guess the significance behind 'Darby'.


	16. July 2001

CBS and Paramount Pictures own NCIS.

You're to Blame

**You are to blame for anything that is good in my heart. You are to blame for this change that has taken me by storm. - Mercy Me**

Chapter Sixteen – July 2001

Sunday July 8, 2001

Weekend duty was never fun. It was even less so on your birthday. Not that anyone other than Jeremy and Jethro knew that it was Tony's birthday. He hadn't celebrated in years. He was either too busy or just didn't realize what day it was until he got a call from his dad. The previous year he slept the whole day because he had just finished a mission out in California.

This year he was determined to properly celebrate. Jeremy suggested a club but Jethro vetoed that before he even started to make plans. It was better that his agents stayed at least mostly sober on a 'school night'. Besides, he was going out with them and the last place he wanted to go was a loud club that would make him go deaf for a few hours. Jethro knew that if he went to one of the clubs that Tony liked he would end up shooting something... or someone. In the end they agreed on a bar that Jethro was familiar with.

Tony's desk was littered with cards when he got to the bullpen. He recognized the handwriting on each one. Most of them were addressed to Jethro's house.

"You've been holding out on me Boss!" smiled Tony as he tore open an envelope.

"Just shut up and red your cards so we can get back to work," barked Jethro more gruffly than he meant.

"Yes, Sir!" Tony gave him a mock salute. He went back to his cards and opened the next one with looking at who sent it. "I didn't know G was back in the States," he muttered to himself.

* * *

It was half an hour later when Vivian arrived. She immediately noticed the brightly colored cards that were displayed on Tony's desk. She also noticed that Gibbs wasn't there. After dropping her pack behind her desk she headed back to the elevator, muttering something about going to Abby.

Tony dashed upstairs to MTAC as soon as the elevator doors closed. This caused quite a few stares but Tony didn't care. He needed to do some damage control and fast, but more importantly he had to warn Jethro what was going on.

* * *

Abby wasn't exactly sure why Viv was so angry. If Tony didn't want anyone to make a big out of his birthday that was his business. He didn't have to tell anyone if he didn't want to. He was private in the same way Gibbs was private. He had that right even if she didn't like it.

Though listening to Vivian complain about it was the last thing Abby wanted to do.

"He's such a attention-hound that it's a wonder that he doesn't have a banner announcing he's another year older above his desk."

"I would have except I figured the boss wouldn't like that too much." Vivian blushed a deep red when she realized Tony heard her bashing him. "I'm going to go out to celebrate my birthday tonight, you are more that welcome to join us. You can meet my friends." He added that to appeal to Abby's desire to learn about his past. He nearly smirked when he saw the both of them nod.

"Blackadder, shouldn't you be in the bullpen? Get up there before Boss chews you out for being late again."

* * *

Tony made sure that his friends and family were at the bar long before Abby and Viv. Ducky couldn't come because he had to take care of his mother. Apparently another one of her nurses quit. Tony considered himself to be lucky because it was harder to get anything past Ducky than Abby and Viv... especially Viv.

He reminded them what was confidential and what they could speak freely about. It wasn't necessary but it did provide a small comfort. His friends knew better than to expose state secrets and for all purposes he was a state secret.

They (including Jethro) were all laughing when the two women arrived. Abby had never seen this side of her favorite agent before. It seemed like they were telling stories about Tony to Jethro.

"Coral was hiding behind a bale of hay, well you know how terrible a shot she is, and Tony crept up and shot her right in the back. I was too busy laughing to notice that he noticed me. Before I knew it, I was shot as well and Tony was nowhere to be seen."

"Oh, hey Abs! Viv!" Tony called to them. He introduced them to the people they didn't know. "We were just talking about the last time we had a paintball fight."

"We're actually thinking of going again soon... the next time Tony and Jeremy has a weekend off," Sam told them with a smile.

"I would like to come." That wasn't Sam's intention but she couldn't say no to her without raising suspicion.

"Are you a good shot?"

"Viv here was trained by the FBI." Tony made it sound like a joke. "Hey Boss, maybe we can claim it as training exercise if you come." Everyone except Vivian looked at him in horror. She knew that her new boss was a former Marine but not what his specialty was. The others knew all too well. Jeremy had bruises on his chest for months after the last time Jethro played with them.

"Sorry Tony but I don't think it would count if we involve civilians." There was a collective sigh of relief from Jeremy, thinking he was turning down the offer. "But it wouldn't hurt to train off the record. Those paintball guns are pretty realistic sometimes."

The topic was changed when Jeremy started another story from when Tony was fifteen. None of the others had heard it and were soon engrossed. Soon so many stories had been told Abby's head was nearly spinning with all the information. Then the story of Tony's first Halloween in Washington was mentioned. Not that they said that it was in Washington.

"I still have my tape," said Coral mischievously. "Maybe we all should watch it some time."

"No way!" snapped Tony.

Coral was shocked by the outburst but then realized who was on that tape... Kathryn. While his ex-fiance wasn't confidential, she wasn't someone he wanted to Abby and Viv to know about. Even though it had been ten years since any of them had heard from her, it still hurt knowing how she left Tony when he was at his worst.

"I'm sorry Tony. You are right. That tape isn't something they would want to see."

Abby didn't understand their reactions. There must have been some very unpleasant memories associated with that tape.

Monday July 9, 2001

It was the nightmares that always followed that kept Tony from talking about Kathryn. They were the same every night; her leaving, telling him that he had lied to her when he said that he loved her. Maybe

he did lie because all he felt for Kathryn now was anger and resentment. He didn't want to forgive her for leaving him.

No one knew he still had _those_ nightmares. They were easier to hide because they were so rare. Kathryn was hardly ever mentioned. When she was he would steer the conversation away from her. It didn't stop the inevitable nightmares but at least he felt as though he had some control.

As always, Tony couldn't fall back to sleep. He was caught up on all of his paperwork so going to the office wasn't an option and he couldn't justify going to the gym at 0330. That left him with going on a run. Running cleared his mind and help him put his happy-go-lucky attitude back in place. It didn't make the circles under his eye disappear but he felt slightly better after accomplishing something. Thirty wasn't supposed to feel so old.

Generally Tony was very happy. He had everything he wanted in life... everything except that white picket fence dream he experienced as a teenager.

* * *

Jethro looked at his agents as they arrived. Jeremy and Viv were obviously tired but Tony...

"You look like crap." He stood in front of Tony's desk. The younger man was ill and it wasn't because of a hangover; he had kept a tally of how much his people drank. His pale face made it all the more noticeable.

"I'm fine Boss." Tony pasted on his best smile.

Unfortunately for Tony, the smile wasn't believable enough and he found himself being dragged by the arm toward the elevator.

"Don't lie to me!" He slammed down the emergency switch.

"I am fine. I just need a few more hours sleep." Jethro stared at him. That unnerved Tony. "I had a nightmare. That happens sometimes."

"Go home and get some sleep. You're useless if you can't keep your eyes open." His words weren't cruel, but it was the truth. "I'll call you if we get a case."

Tony gave him a tired smile. "Thanks, Dad."

* * *

Vivian looked glanced up every few minutes to see if her teammates were coming back. She was surprised that only Gibbs came back. She was positive Tony was going to be yelled at for coming to work with a hangover. She _knew_ that only Gibbs favoritism stopped him from reprimanding him publicly. Obviously she was wrong.

"Where's DiNozzo?" As expected she didn't get an answer. "Gibbs?"

She eyed him when he sighed. "Not here."

Viv rolled her eyes. "I can see that. Why isn't he here?"

"Just leave it, Blackadder," snapped Jeremy. "If Tony isn't here it isn't any of your concern."

"Far be it that I am actually worried about my teammate."

It was obvious that her concern wasn't with Tony's health. She wanted to know things that really wasn't any of her business. The favoritism that Gibbs showed to her teammates confused her and she wanted to understand why.

She wasn't one to let her questions be left unanswered.

* * *

It was nearly time for Jethro to send his team home when he got a call that he had a case. He hoped that Tony got enough sleep because it looked like this was going to be an all-nighter. Three Navy officers had been abducted from there apartment. The officers' families had been called by the abductors and were demanding a ransom, a quarter million each. They wanted the money by 0400 or they would start killing the officers.

None of them had that kind of money lying around. In fact, the families didn't even have a quarter million if they pooled their money together. Whoever took them didn't care about the money as much as they made it seem.

Tony was called in to do research on the three men that were taken while the other there went to the officers' homes. He wasn't too happy that he was being left behind but he knew that Jeremy and Viv were more useful in the field than was at the moment. He was still tired and while he wasn't the greatest at the computer, it was still less taxing than trying to comfort a distraught wife.

The three of them didn't even seem to have anything in common other than the fact they were officers and even then they weren't even the same rank.

Tuesday June 10, 2001

This case had so many holes. That was until Tony gave Gibbs a phone call at 0230. He found the connection between the wives. They all went to the same bank. It wasn't that unlikely that they all went to the same place.

Gibbs sent Jeremy and Vivian to the bank manager's house. He didn't care that it they were interrupting the man's sleep. He was angry that they woke him at first but when they explained the situation he was a little more sympathetic and agreed to get security tapes from the bank. It wasn't likely that they would find anything on the tapes but it would hurt to look. That would give Abby something to do.

Digging into people's private business was one of the perks of being an investigator. This time Tony's expert snooping skills led him to a divorce court and not just any divorce court. It turned out that the wives of all three officers had filed with the same lawyer. That particular lawyer, Mallory Frost, settled the majority of her cases out of the courtroom... mainly because the husbands always ended up dead and the wives got everything by default.

Tony and Jethro arrived at her door an hour before the deadline. Guns drawn, they stormed in with barely any kind of warning. Tony was slightly amused that his dad had him kick down the door. When he was undercover he never had that kind of fun.

They quickly cleared the first story. Jethro went upstairs while Tony went for the basement. Tony was stunned that he found Frost standing over the men holding a needle. None of them were moving. She didn't do anything other than put the needle on the ground. She was caught red-handed. Tony called for Jethro to come down as he cuffed her. He wanted to check on the officers but he knew he couldn't leave Frost unattended. Even with handcuffs on a suspect could be dangerous.

Jethro felt a wave of anger when he felt for a pulse on the victims. He couldn't find one on any of the men. He shook his head and Tony pulled out his phone to call Ducky. He took the woman from Tony and took her to the car. They would have to wait for Ducky and Viv to arrive before they could take her back to the Navy Yard. He needed them to stay and process the scene while he interrogated Frost.

* * *

Frost's reasons for killing those men were pretty sick. Years ago she was married to a wealthy man that would always abuse her. When she decided to get a divorce her lawyer told her that she wouldn't get anything from him. In her anger she killed her husband before the divorce was final. Despite being in the middle of a divorce she got everything that belonged to her soon to be ex-husband. In the years that followed, she became a lawyer herself to find women in similar situations. She admitted that the wives had nothing to do with the kidnappings. She claimed that she was trying to help them so that they wouldn't get taken advantage of like she had almost been.

* * *

It was almost disappointing that the case ended so quickly. Tony hated that they wasted so much time going over the bank records. They might have been able to find Frost sooner if they had been looking in the right place. They might have been able to save those men's lives. None of them deserved to die because one woman was bitter about what her husband tried to do the her. The situations that she was in wasn't the same as the Navy wives. They weren't being abused like she was.

"DiNozzo?" Abby had come upstairs to say goodnight to Jethro. "Why are you still here?"

He thought about what kind of answer to give her. He decided that the truth wouldn't hurt this time. "I don't really want to go him yet. I spent the whole day sleeping and I'm not tired."

"Maybe you should try some warm milk. That usually puts me to sleep." She was trying to be nice to him.

"That doesn't work for me. When I was a kid one of my nannies tried that.... I ended up getting sick on her. She quit the next day." He didn't know why he was telling her about his childhood. All he knew was that he wanted her to accept him.

"How many nannies did you have?"

He tried to remember all the strange women his mother hired to keep an eye on him. "I don't know. None of them stuck around for more than a few months. I think one lasted a year." He let out a yawn.

"You should head home. Gibbs won't like it too much if you came in tired two days in a row... he might get Ducky to give you a once over."

He nodded and headed toward the elevator. "I'm not a bad guy Abby. I just have a past that has to stay buried in order to keep people safe."

Those words confused her. She just added them to the mystery that she was no closer to solving.

Saturday July 14, 2001

The three of them weren't huddled together because they were scared... nope, they weren't scared at all. They were too used to having Jethro shooting paintballs at them. That was what Sam, Coral, and Alex were trying to convince themselves.

Jeremy knew better than to delude himself. Tony and Jethro were ruthless when it came to paintball. It was more than a game for those two. It was a way for them to show off who was the better shot. The shooting range only told you so much about the kind of skills you had. He knew that he would never have the skills that the Marines gave them.

With Vivian inviting herself they had an uneven number of people. Tony made himself the wild-card and went after both teams. One team was Jethro, Samantha, and Alex. The other was Viv, Jeremy, and Coral. Sam and Alex were always on the same team despite the lack of ability both of them possessed. Alex just refused to shoot at his wife even though they were only paintballs. Sam didn't have the same reservations and thought that it was cute that he couldn't shoot her.

Jethro would have preferred to be the wild-card but they figured that Tony was as good as Viv and Jeremy combined (they did not say that to Vivian since she felt she was a superior gunman). And with Sam and Alex as liabilities on Jethro's team they were pretty equal.

"I don't see why I have to play," whined Coral as she was putting on her protective gear.

"Because it's fun," Tony answered for all of them. He laced up his well-loved combat boots before helping Coral with her vest. They weren't taking chances of any of them getting bruises this time. "Stop being a wuss. No one is going to get hurt this time."

"Keep telling yourself that Tony," quipped Jethro. He arrived later than the others and was already in full gear. He tossed Coral a helmet knowing that even though they didn't shoot each other anywhere near their heads it would make her a little more comfortable.

They were playing a version of Capture the Flag. Tony, as the wild-card, would hunt down both teams. If you were hit by either an opposing team member you had to sit out for five minutes. If Tony shot you you had to sit out for ten. You also had to go back to your side of the field before attempting to get the flag again. If you had the flag you had to drop it where you were shot before heading back to your side.

Jethro sent his younger members to go after the flag. He would protect them from a distance while keeping their flag out of enemies' hands. He would treat this as a war game. And in war patience was the key to success.

It was Jeremy who got shot first... by his own teammate. Coral heard him coming and attacked before checking who it was first. He was only slightly impressed that it was a kill-shot, right above his heart. Tony was nearby and was silently laughing at them. He jump out from behind the hay bale and shot them both. Coral visibly flinched when she heard the thwack of the gun. Jeremy glared at Tony when he waved at them before taking off to find more prey.

Viv had went off on her own at the beginning of the game. The riffle was never her choice of weapon. It was bulky and she couldn't handle it very very. Even though the guns they were using were much smaller, it was still awkward for her to carry. A handgun was much easier to control. So it came to no surprise to her that she dropped it when someone got her right between the shoulder blades. However, it was a bit of a surprise when it discharged and she shot herself. She didn't know who shot her because there was no one around. If it had been Tony he would have shown himself. She didn't know the others to know how they would react to shooting an agent in the back.

A smirk crossed Jethro's face when he shot Blackadder and nearly laughed when he saw her drop her gun. Good shot or not, having a gun is useless if you can't keep it in your hands. He hadn't actually seen her shoot anyone since the game began.

Coral didn't even dare to close her eyes. Her hiding place wasn't that secluded but she didn't dare move. She knew the others would love to get a hit on her. It didn't help that it was her job to protect the flag. She saw Alex and Sam approaching and took a shot. She winced when she missed because the thwack her pellet made as it hit a nearby tree gave away her position. Alex lined up his riffle and shot her in the stomach. Samantha went behind Coral and grabbed the flag.

Tony saw Sam with the flag and shot her. She scowled in his general direction and dropped the flag. Alex scooped it back up and shot back at Tony while accidentally dodging a pellet coming Vivian. He got Tony in the thigh and kept running. Viv took another shot and once again missed.

Jethro was watching the whole time. He had to take Vivian to the shooting range for training. She said that she was a good shot but from what he saw, she was anything but. A moving target was much harder to hit than a paper target. An FBI agent should know that.

He saw his teammates celebrate their win. Jeremy was shot multiple times by himself and Tony when he got too close to the flag. Even with the gear he was going to be sore in the morning. Viv didn't get anywhere near the flag. She would scatter she was _shot at._ He didn't even hit her (on purpose) that often.

"See, I told you it was fun." Tony smirked at his friends. They were all covered in paint while he only had the one shot to his thigh and Jethro didn't have a single speck on him. "And no one did get hurt." He smiled at Jeremy who was already showing signs that he was bruising. All he got were glares in return from the loosing team.

A/N I know this is short but I really wasn't inspired this week.


	17. August 2001

CBS and Paramount Pictures own NCIS.

You're to Blame

**You are to blame for anything that is good in my heart. You are to blame for this change that has taken me by storm. - Mercy Me**

Chapter – Seventeen – August 2001

Thursday August 9, 2001

Boredom wasn't something Tony dealt with easily. Undercover work constantly kept him busy and his mind occupied. But since the Frost case the team had been going over cold cases. So he resorted to an old favorite pastime... throwing wads of paper at people. Viv was his prime target. After the third wad of paper she turned to glare at him. Tony's head was down and there was no indication that he did anything. A few minutes later another wad was thrown at her.

"Will you stop that?" she hissed venomously.

"Stop what?" Tony didn't look up. He wasn't sure what he would do if he did.

"Just stop." Her glare was something Tony and Jeremy would usually laugh at but the situation didn't call for it.

The wads stopped for about an hour before she was hit again. This time the bullpen was greeted with a resounding smack as Jethro's hand made contact with the back of Tony's head. That caused Viv to smirk at Tony's misfortune.

"Thank you, Boss!"

"If you're that bore head down to the gym." The three of them scrambled out from their seats. "Not you Blackadder. You're going to the shooting range."

Vivian's smirk vanished and quickly turned into a scowl. Ever since that day they spent at the paintball park she had been forced to go to the range twice a week to improve her skills. It didn't matter to Jethro Gibbs that she didn't like using riffles. Plus, it was unlikely that she would have to use one in the field. Her Sig was good enough for the work that they did. Tony could handle a riffle if one was needed.

She had no choice but to obey. There really wasn't anywhere she could go at NCIS if she was forced off team Gibbs. If she wasn't on a MCRT in DC she would never find her brother's killers. The FBI didn't have jurisdiction and she wasn't about go back to them when she had unfinished business with NCIS.

* * *

Jeremy let out a sigh as he had his boxing gloves tied up. One of the conditions of his being allowed out in the field was that he had to meet the same physical requirements as an agent. He was a doctor not a field agent that had to sometimes run after suspects. He doubted Jethro was even going to let him get into situations that required him to exert himself.

Not that he was unfit. He liked to keep himself as healthy as possible... he had a daughter to take care of. But he hated sparring with Tony. The kid was ruthless when he fought. In front of others, especially women, he liked to fool around in the ring. However, he was trained not just by his dad but also by the United States Marine Corps. Jeremy only had his years at RIMA to back him up. And while that kind of training was intense, it was nowhere near the level that Tony was at. He knew the younger man went easy on him.

"Alright Bro, let's see what you got!" taunted Tony.

"Hey, I've been practicing, Tony. I might be able to surprise you for once." He knew he was kidding himself but it was all in fun.

Jethro came down to watch the two of them fight. He approved of Tony's style, teaching the older man but not being overly obvious about it. Jeremy had improved, although he was still taken down in under fifteen minutes.

Tony knew that they had an audience but he didn't let it distract him. It wasn't as though he didn't know who it was. Jethro was bound to show up sooner rather than later. He always watched them. Then he would beat Tony into a quivering mass of pulp. Jethro claimed that it was a good way to keep Tony humble... not that it always worked.

* * *

It wasn't often that Ducky went to the NCIS's gym. Unless there was an injured agent he had no reason to go at all. He had his own way of getting exercise. Now though, he was glad that he came to find Jethro instead of just calling him.

Ducky felt that they were good friends. In the few years they had known each other they had had gone through a lot together... escaping from French police among other things. But the expression on Jethro's face wasn't one that he often saw and never in a situation like this. During the few times that he watched Jethro watch his agents box Jethro's eyes were stoic, uncaring, sometimes even cold. That was true for Stanley Burley and Brent Langer who were on good terms with Jethro when they were on his team.

Now, with these two men, there was something akin to pride shining through his eyes. It was a look that he reserved for Abigail for when she discovers a particularly important shred of evidence.

That look was another piece to an unsolvable puzzle. Ducky hoped that if he go enough of the pieces he would be able to figure out what was going on.

He could speak to Jethro later. This was a moment that didn't deserve to be interrupted.

* * *

Kristy was used to her dad's odd work hours. So when he got home by 5:30 for almost a whole month, she was delighted. She felt neglected or abandoned. In fact, he told her that she loved her every night before she went to bed. Although, that sometimes meant a phone call. She had a nanny Evangelina or rather Angel as she was affectionately known as around the building. Even though she lived in the same building she went to her own apartment (or whatever she did when she when she wasn't on duty) when Jeremy was home... unless she was invited for dinner.

Nothing stopped Kristy from noticing how stiffly her dad was walking or the fact that he groaned when he put down his pack.

"Grandpa let Uncle Tony beat you up again, didn't he?" Her blue eyes were wide at the mere thought but her words had a teasing edge to them.

"Tony didn't―" He changed his mind about answering her. "Where's Angel?"

"She had to use the head."

Jeremy stared blankly at his daughter until he was able to translate what she said. "You're spending way too much time with your grandpa."

"I wouldn't say that," said Evangelina as she entered the room. "Tony is a bigger influence on the poor niña."

"I heard that!" called Tony from the doorway.

Kristy gave Tony a hug even though she saw him nearly every day. Then she punched him in the shoulder. He hissed in pain.

"Grandpa beat you up again, didn't he Uncle Tony?"

"I wasn't―" He cut himself off because her glare was daring him to lie to her. "You know what that doesn't matter. What's for dinner?"

"I made enchiladas," boasted Angel.

"You are a Latina goddess, Evangelina!" Tony kissed both her cheeks.

"I know, but now I have to leave. Don't even think about calling me... even if you get important case. I have a date and you will not ruin this one. Adios."

Tony saw Jeremy tense at those words. He nearly smirked but managed to contain it until Angel was gone. He sent Kristy to clean up before dinner. He didn't care if he sounded like a school girl. He had never seen Jeremy this way around a girl before. "Spill."

Jeremy didn't say anything for a long moment but Kristy sure did. "Dad's in love her."

"I'm not...... Shouldn't you be washing your hands?"

Kristy rolled her eyes. "Already done." She turned to Tony with a grin on her face. "He talks in his sleep all the time. 'Angel' is his favorite word."

His cheeks reddened slightly. "OK, end of discussion!"

Friday August 10, 2001

Being an OSP agent didn't leave much room for a social. That didn't bother Tony as much as he thought it would. Now that he wasn't OSP he had more free time to be himself, relatively speaking. He was also free to tell people who he was (sorta). He thought that would be easier on him...

He was wrong.

When Tony was first asked if he wanted to be a permanent fixture on his dad's team he was given a choice, be Anthony DiNozzo or return to full-time undercover work. He choose being DiNozzo believing that he could be Tony Gibbs on his downtime. He was wrong about that as well. He was told that he had to be DiNozzo when he was out in the public eye as well.

The problem with that was that the public still recognized the DiNozzo name even after all these years out the spotlight. The Gibbs name him the anonymity that he had in college... the first time he went.

He would be the first person to tell you that he loved attention. Wanting to noticed was a weakness of his of sorts. It was a side effect of being ignored for too many years when he was a child. It was one of his still remaining 'issues' from that time... or so Jeremy says. But the kind he got whenever he told someone that name was too much for him and he hated his somewhat celebrity status. He was more than a name.

So he stopped telling people his last name... except for when he was on the job. However, grieving families and desperate criminals really couldn't care less who he was. He liked it that way. He was being noticed but at the same time he was just another agent.

When he went to a bar or a club he was 'Tony'. Nothing more and nothing less. Just another person looking to have a good time. He would have been able to pull it off if it weren't for one thing.

"Hey, DiNozzo!" Abby said as she plopped herself next to him, not noticing or caring that he wasn't alone. It took the young blonde all of ten seconds to realize what the Goth said. She was rather loud; everyone within ten feet heard her.

Tony ran out before he was mobbed.

He didn't realize Abby followed him until he heard her platforms pounding on the pavement, trying to keep up with his much longer stride.

"Tony! Tony, wait!" yelled Abby. He froze in shock because she never called him 'Tony' before. "I'm sorry. You don't have to leave." She wasn't exactly sure what she was apologizing for.

He gave her a sad look. "Actually, yeah, I do. I'm going home." She didn't need to know that home meant the boss's house.

"What? Why?"

"Because it would be a bad idea for me to stay here and cause a riot. Abby," he gripped her shoulders. "I will explain everything that I'm allowed to later but this isn't the time or place for this kind of discussion." Abby nodded in agreement. "I'll call you tomorrow."

* * *

When Jethro heard someone upstairs he pulled out his backup that he kept in his work bench. He wasn't expecting anyone. Only Tony, Jeremy, and Kristina had the guts to walk in without knocking. Even Ducky and Abby still knocked before entering and he had known them for years. Both of them knew that he didn't have a lock. He also knew that Tony was going out for the night and Jeremy was at home moping about some girl... at least that's what Tony said.

Then he heard Tony calling down the stairs. Jethro smiled, knowing Tony only shouted so that he didn't get shot again. The kid knew him well.

They didn't speak. Tony would say what was on in mind when he was comfortable. It was important, Tony wouldn't have come if it wasn't, but whatever it was wasn't urgent. Jethro could wait until Tony was ready. That last for two hours.

"Do think that all of this is worth it?" Jethro waited for Toy to explain. Only he could make the words make sense. "Are all the lies and secrecy worth the aggravation we put ourselves through... that I have suffered?" There was a noticeable pain in the younger man's eyes.

It was moments like these that Jethro wished that Shannon was still alive... even more than he usually did. If she were things would have so much easier. He would have been retired from the Corps and Tony would never had gone from one undercover mission to another. He would probably had been a team leader if he had gone through with joining NCIS. They wouldn't be in this mess and Tony wouldn't be so confused with who he was. And even if they were, Shannon would know what to say. She had always been able to talk him out of him more depressed moments.

So all her could say was the truth... as much as he didn't actually know what that was. But that thought gave him an idea to what he could say.

"I don't know if what you are going through is worth it. Everything comes down to one thing and it's the same for almost everyone. What is your greatest weakness?"

"Family. You know that if anything happens to you because of me...." he trailed off not wanting to think of what could happen. "Yeah, it's worth it." Jethro sighed inwardly, glad that everything was settled for now. "What am I going to say to Abby? She knows something isn't right." Or not.

"The truth."

"But Morrow... Oh! That truth. I can do that."

Saturday August 11, 2001

Even though Jethro knew that Tony had to meet Abby some time that day, he let him sleep in until 0800. Abby was most likely sleeping off a caffeine high. The longer she slept the better the mood she would be in. But he didn't want them putting off their talk for too long. He needn't have worried about Tony procrastinating. The promised phone call was made right after he ate his breakfast. They were having lunch at Tony's apartment Neutral territory would have been a better choice but any place they thought of would have been too public.

Jethro wished that he could join them but Abby would read too much than she should... more than what was safe. Keeping her safe for a past she didn't need to know about was everyone's top priority.

* * *

Tony wasn't sure what possessed him to go grocery shopping before picking up Abby. He had some of Jeremy's leftovers that Angel made but he didn't think that Abby would be too impressed with that. It would make it seem as though he was trying to get rid of her as soon as possible. That wasn't the case at all.

Takeout was a option but that included waiting for the food to arrive before they could talk. Tony did not want to be interrupted. So waiting was a really bad idea. It was a distraction that neither of them needed.

Abby didn't comment on how late Tony was. She also didn't mention the garlic scent that was very prominent in the air. She couldn't see where the garlic odor was coming from. But she really hoped that it wasn't permanent. Garlic wasn't her favorite scent.

They were silent for a few moments. Then Tony spoke up. He still hated it whenever it got to be too quiet. "I hope you like Italian. It's my specialty and I was always taught to go with what I know." He knew a lot but Italian dishes were simple enough if you didn't want anything extravagant. He was glad when Abby said that whatever he was making was fine. She wasn't picky.

They talked while he cooked. It wasn't ideal but it was better than having her sit in the living room to wait. Tony explained why he couldn't explain what was going on. She didn't like it but she could live with it... for now. Though she did feel more comfortable when he told her that he wasn't a spook of any kind and it wasn't his intention for her to start thinking that he was a ghost. Then he asked if she had any questions.

She had one.

"What's your real name?"

That was _the _question that he couldn't answer. "I have many names Ms. Sciuto," he tried to joke. She didn't fall for his evasiveness. He knew that before he even finished speaking.

"That isn't what I meant and you know it. I won't tell anyone if you're not the real Anthony DiNozzo. It doesn't matter that much to me."

"Sorry, but like any super hero, my identity must remain a secret. I have many enemies and I don't want them to find me. I can't risk putting anyone in that position."

"Gibbs knows. You can't hide something this big from him." She gave him a death glare. If he hadn't experienced Jethro's glares he would have thought that she was at least a little intimidating. Abby's glare wasn't even 10 % as intimidating Kristy's.

"Boss knows. He probably knows more about my past than the Director." There was no 'probably' about it. Morrow wasn't around for the incident with Lisa DiNozzo back in '88. Jethro knew everything about the missions that he went on.

Some of the things that happened were never reported to Morrow. Morrow knew that he didn't know everything but he didn't let that bother him. In some cases it was actually preferred. Tony and Jethro were too much alike to make them stop.

Abby was about to ask another question but stopped herself. He was giving her more than she could hope for. She could return the favor by not asking anything else. Tony could keep the rest of his secrets. He kept his promise the tell her everything that wasn't classified.

"So," she looked at Tony's entertainment center. "Do you want to watch a movie?"

* * *

Tony fell asleep while watching the film. Abby wasn't getting into it... not enough gore for a vampire movie. She took the opportunity to look around the apartment. Tony wasn't the type to give tours.

The place was exactly what she expected it to be, only a lot cleaner. The movies she knew were going to be there ranged from the classics to children films. Abby wasn't sure what to make of of those. Tony didn't seem to be the kind of person to watch _Mary Poppins _without the threat of torture.

His music choices were somewhat impressive. It was mostly jazz but there was also some classical. She figured that the classical was meant to impress his girlfriends.

The thing that Abby never thought she would see was a large collection of books. It wasn't even all Steven King, John Grisham and James Patterson. His tastes in books were similar to his movie collection. But no matter how wide his interests were, Harry Potter would have to be explained.

Abby didn't realize that Tony woke while she was going through his movies. So she didn't see Tony's eyes widen when she picked up a well-worn copy of _Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. _It was Kristina's favorite series but was one of the books she kept at his place for when Jeremy was out of town and she needed a long term babysitter. He couldn't tell her that and was mentally cursing himself for forgetting to hide the series.

"That isn't mine." Abby jumped but quickly recovered.

"I'm sure it isn't." She looked as though she wanted to start laughing. "Why would someone who reads _Angels & Demons _read Harry Potter?" The words were sarcastic and not the usual tone that Abby used.

"Really, that one isn't mine. But I can't tell you who it belongs to." Now he was mentally cursing Jeremy for not allowing anyone know about his daughter. He wasn't proving his case that he wasn't a Harry Potter fan. The only reason he even knew about the books was because Kristy was continually gushing over them. "Can you just drop it, Abs? I'll talk to the owner of the books to see if he or she has a problem with you knowing the secret.

Monday August 20, 2001

Tony and Abby were getting along better to Jethro's relief and Vivian's displeasure. It was obvious that she thought that Tony was still 'hinky' but now that she knew why she couldn't find any reason not to be friends with him. Though the secret behind the Harry Potter books was unsolved.

Jethro did notice that Tony treated Abby like a little sister. Abby was older than Kelly but only by a few years. This behavior concerned Jethro because he didn't want his son to think of Abby as a replacement for Kelly, despite the age difference. But the way he acted around Abby wasn't like how he was around Kelly. His concerns were unfounded.

The new relationship between them confused Vivian. She could not figure out what happened between them that would cause Abby to be one of DiNozzo's biggest fans. It was almost as if the young girl idolized him. Abby was her only ally and losing her to DiNozzo would mean that her entire team would either outright dislike her (Gibbs) or treat her with caution (Jeremy).

She hated that she found Abby and Tony laughing while going over evidence from a cold case. She wasn't even sure what they were laughing about but it stopped when they noticed her enter the room. Vivian thought that they were making fun of her lack of Navy knowledge. How was she supposed to know that the Navy didn't build battleships anymore and that they were all decommissioned a long time ago. She didn't live and breathe 'Navy and Marines' like the other people on her team. She never went to FLETC like her boss had. Nor did she have a bizarre aptitude for knowing a large amount of seemingly useless information like DiNozzo.

She hated even more that she didn't even know that DiNozzo was going through forensic evidence on a cold case.... the fact that he even understood the science completely baffled her. When they were in the lab Abby usually had to dumb everything down for him, not that she fully understood what Abby did either.

She was determined to figure Tony out but she was learning that asking outright wasn't going to her the answers that she wanted.

A/N I promise that the next chapter will be much longer. It will be September 2001 and we all know what happened then. I have an idea for what I want to to for 9/11 but if you want me to gloss over them as to not offend anyone, please let me know. I know that the events that happened that day are still hard for a lot of people.

**Minor Spoiler Alert: **Due to the events in _Random on Purpose _I have to make Abby's age 21 at this point even though Pauley Perrette is 40 in real life. The episode mentioned that she was in her late 20's. Thus she's 29 as of November 2009.


	18. September 2001

CBS and Paramount Pictures own NCIS.

You're to Blame

**You are to blame for anything that is good in my heart. You are to blame for this change that has taken me by storm. - Mercy Me**

Chapter Eighteen – September 2001

**IMPORTANT: This chapter does include the events of September 11, 2001. Please either skip reading that part or wait until the next chapter to continue reading. Thank you. **

Saturday September 1, 2001

Jethro watched his team intently. They were behaving like school children waiting to dismissed. Tony and Jeremy were tossing a ball back and forth when thought he wasn't looking. However the soft thump the ball made each time it made contact with skin was obvious. He let them get away with it mostly because it annoyed Vivian. At one point she muttered something about how that kind of behavior would never be tolerated at the FBI. For some reason to thumping stopped soon after that.

The whole team was thankful that it was finally Saturday. They had Sunday off to recuperate from all the cold cases they had to go through during the past few weeks. They had managed to solve a few because of advances in technology but most were sent back to the file room for another day. Tony especially found not solving the cold cases difficult since he had a 100% close rate when he was in OSP. He needed this day off more than the others.

So Tony was going to do the one thing that made sense, force his dad to go horseback riding. The fact that it was Jethro's birthday the next day insured that they wouldn't be called in unless an unusually large number of sailors and Marines were murdered. With a lot of luck that wouldn't happen.

Only Jeremy knew where they were going to Virginia beach. That was the selling point that convinced Jethro to go. Although they all knew that Abby could probably their phones if she wanted to.

Sunday September 2, 2001

It was strange being on a horse again after so long. Jethro hadn't ridden since before he left for Kuwait. The horses only reminded him of what he had lost. But the reminder wasn't as painful as he thought it would be. However, talking about Kelly was the last thing he wanted to do. Tony was OK with that since he didn't want to talk about her either.

Tony was right at home on the pure black stallion, Mercy. He was much larger than the colts that Tony rode as a teen. That was to be expected, Tony was a more experienced rider. He did have a few missions, for what reasons Jethro did not know, that had involved horses.

"Maybe I should get a few of my own horses. You know, have some closer to home so we don't have to come here when we want to go for a ride," babbled Tony as they slowly traveled down the beach.

"No."

"Aw, c'mon Dad. You can't tell me that I can't have a horse. It's my money. It'll all go go waste if I don't spend it on something frivolous." Tony was pouting like he did when he was a teen. It wasn't cute then and it wasn't cute now.

"You can do that. I don't care if you buy some_thing_ frivolous. I just can't trust you not to but a horse for everyone that you know." If he bought one or two horses that wouldn't have been a problem. However, knowing Tony not only would he buy everyone a horse he would also buy a whole farm that he really didn't need. Sometimes he regretted letting Shannon teach him how to he generous. It seemed as though she do too well of a job in that area.

"I wouldn't buy a horse for Vivian." He wouldn't he barely tolerated the older woman and knew that she wasn't going to be on the team for long. Then he thought about what Jethro was saying. "Would you let me if I keep it down to six?" Jethro glared. "I'll think it through some more." Jethro nodded satisfied with that answer.

Monday September 10, 2001

Like many generations before her, Kristina quickly learned that she hated going to school. Even in her eighth grade advanced placement classes she was bored out of her mind. Her classmates were annoying pests and she couldn't understand how some of them got into the advance classes in the first place... unless their parents bought their way in. Add the fact that most of her teachers seemed to detested her, Kristina was living in a nightmare.

The majority of her problems steamed from the fact that she refused to tell anyone what her dad did for a living. Many of the students at her school had federal agents or low ranking diplomats for parents. They didn't realize that by bragging about who their parents were, they were making themselves targets for all sorts of bad guys. However, by not bragging Kristy was making herself a target for her peers.

She sighed as she down for her math class. Mrs. Saunders was the worst.

"Kirsten, Leo, Amber, go up to the board and solve those problems," snapped Mrs. Saunders. 'Leo' and 'Amber' scrambled out their seats so that they didn't make the witch angry. Kristina knew that Saunders was calling her Kirsten but didn't move to the board. Saunders strode over to where Kristina was sitting. "Kirsten, get to the board now!"

"I'm sorry," she convincingly said. "I didn't realize that you were talking to me because my name is Kristina."

Mrs. Saunders looked at Kristina disbelievingly. "Go! Office! Now!"

Smiling, Kristina left the classroom.

* * *

Kristina sat in the office for two hours before her dad showed up. She thought that it was funny that she had to miss classes because her teacher didn't want to learn her name. Apparently, no corrects Mrs. Saunders and remains at the school for long.

Jeremy was angry when he arrived. Not at Kristy but at the school that called him and not tell him why he was needed at the school for disciplinary reasons. His daughter had never been in trouble with her tutors or nannies. When he was told he thought that it was a joke at first. But then he couldn't understand why a child would be in trouble when a teacher couldn't bother with remembering her name.

He was pulling her out of the school. He only sent her there in the first place because it supposedly had the best AP classes that junior high had to offer. He would have been OK with sending Kristina to a high school but the man that tested her thought that since she had never been in school before (not counting the four months in kindergarten) it would have been better to let her skip only one grade and put her with a bunch of snobby thirteen-year-olds than two where she would actually learn something. She was tall; no one would think that she was twelve. The guidance consular had no problem with letting Kristina, or as she called her Kirsten, go to high school.

For all the hoping that they would get a case soon, Tony hated that he was pulled out of bed at eleven at night. At time like this Tony really hated that Jeremy didn't have to report to crime scenes after eight at night. But they all had to be in the bullpen by 7:30 the next morning. There wasn't anything that could be done now without Abby going over the evidence.

Tuesday September 11, 2001

7:28:26

Abby was hard at work. Instead of a her CD's the radio was blaring her usual music as loud as possible without blowing the speakers. That had happened before and she had to spend three days without music before she had to time to go out and buy new ones. That had been the worst three days she ever had to endure and considering some of her past jobs that was really saying something.

She had a hinky feeling that something bad was going to happen today and it had nothing to do with her speakers or the case. But for now she had no choice but to ignore the feeling and work on the samples that Ducky sent to her via his new assistant and the computer that was found with him. It was encrypted but she knew that she would find what was on it.

* * *

8:17:48

Lieutenant (junior grade) Michael Blake was impossible to locate in their systems but Jeremy was finally able to find him. Blake was a top secret analyst at the Pentagon. He and Tony tried to dig deeper but not even Tony had the clearance to check what Blake was working on.

* * *

8:48:50

A huff resounded through the lab as the music was cut off for a news announcement but Abby paled as she took in what was being said. The World Trade Center was on fire. There was no confirmation from her local station on whether it was the North or South Tower. She quickly went up the the bullpen as fast as she could, calling Ducky on her way up.

The entire office was quiet when Abby exited the elevator. Everyone was focused on the plasma in the middle of the large room.

Ducky arrived a few minutes after Abby, wearing a clean pair of scrubs. He was confused as to why it was Abby that called him to the bullpen. She had never done that before. But when he heard the scared voice coming from the plasma, he understood. He had seen many similar scenes like the one on the screen before him during his many travels. Yet, he never thought that those scenes of destruction would follow him to America.

The crowd jumped when Jethro spoke up. "We still have a killer to find. Tony, Jeremy, head over to the Pentagon and talk to Blake's CO."

* * *

9:28:06

The radio was the only sound in the car on the way to the Pentagon. It was hard for Tony to listen to someone's accounts on what was happening and being able to watch it himself. It was putting far too many ideas in his head.

"I have a bad feeling about this place," he said as he got out of the car. "Something is going to happen."

"Any idea what it could be?"

Tony shook his head slightly. "No, but I might just be paranoid." He didn't believe his own words.

"You're never paranoid. If you say that something is going to happen, I believe you."

* * *

9:33:42

Kristina felt sick to her stomach and it had nothing to do with starting a new school. She had been in study hall when the principal's voice came over the sound system and announced that a plane had struck the WTC. It wasn't long after that, that he came on again announcing that the second tower had been hit.

She had sat in shock for the rest of the period; not comprehending anything that was going on around her. It was only just last year that her dad and uncle took her to New York as a 'vacation'. She had loved the city... especially how much taller the buildings were when she compared them to those in other large cities.

Now, like many of her classmates, Kristina was trying to call her dad. However, she kept getting a message that the cell towers were busy. After the third attempt she knew that it was hopeless to try to get through that way. She knew that near the entrance hall there were a bunch of payphones. She always had the habit of carrying spare change wherever she went. She didn't bother trying her dad's cell and dialed his office number. She wasn't sure that it would work but she had to try something.

* * *

9:35:10

Jethro's wasn't surprised when Jeremy's office phone rang. He tried to call Tony and got nothing. So there was no hesitation on his part when he answered. As he suspected, it was Kristy.

"Grandpa? Where's Dad?" she sounded like she was holding back tears.

He sighed. "He's on an assignment. Look, I'll come get you later if Jeremy can't. Things are kinda busy right now."

"OK, I understand. Just don't leave me out of the loop." Her only answer was the sound of a dial tone.

* * *

9:37:56

It was pure instinct that told tony to drop to the floor, dragging Jeremy with him. Everything was coming down around them. The sturdiest thing that Tony could find was the no-show CO's desk. He quickly pushed Jeremy under it. He followed but something pinned down one of his legs.

Tony could hear Jeremy calling his name but the pain was incredible. The only thing he could do to escape it was pass out.

* * *

9:40:51

All Jethro had the hear was 'another explosion that -- has taken place. At the Pentagon.' before he started barking orders. He told Viv and Ducky to head to the Pentagon. Rescue personnel would find some use for them, especially Ducky. However, he had something to do before he could head out there himself.

"Abs, you're with me. I have a special project for you.

After driving for a few minutes Abby realized something. "Gibbs, we're going the wrong way."

"No, I'm not."

She had never felt more confused when he pulled up to a high school. That only lasted for ten minutes when he came out with a wide-eye girl that look far too young to even be a freshmen. There was a strong resemblance to Jeremy... right down to the hair color.

* * *

9:58:01

Jethro forced his way past the yellow perimeter. He flashed his badge knowing that it held some leverage over the firemen. It wouldn't get him in the building but for now getting information was enough. He was pointed to where everyone had been evacuated. He spotted Viv standing around.

"What do you have?" He smirked when he saw her jump slightly. That turned into a scowl when she didn't answer.

"Where have you been?" she demanded.

"Doing my job. Now, have you been doing yours? What do you have?" he asked again slowly.

"Nothing." He glared at her. "These people are traumatized. Do you really think that they would remember DiNozzo and Parkinson?" She made it sound as though the two men were forgettable.

"Someone had to of seen them. Find them." He started to walk away.

"This sick obsession you have with them is going to get you killed... or them if they already aren't."

Jethro kept walking. She obviously didn't understand family.

* * *

10:22:27

The first thing that Tony became aware of was the sharp pain in his leg. The second thing was someone straining to move something impossibly heavy. Tony groaned at the new sensations. This alerted the other person. He hoped that whoever it was would be able to tell him what had happened. Then he remembered that he was with Jeremy.

"Who tried to kill us this time?" The question was far more interesting than 'what happened'.

"Not sure on the who but the weapon of choice was an airplane, or at least I think that's what it was."

"Like the Towers?"

"Exactly like the Towers." He knew he had to keep Tony talking. "You think you can figure out how much air we have?"

"I'm horrible at math," joked Tony weakly.

"Stop with the line. As unfortunate as to where you got it, math is in your blood. You never would have done so well in basketball if you weren't."

Tony resisted the urge to sigh. Jeremy was right, he was good at math... as much as he tried to hide it.

"There's too many factors. We could have as little as a few hours to an endless supply. There's just no way that I can tell."

* * *

10:48:26

No one really knows how they would react when they realize that the world, everything that they know, is falling apart around them until it does. No one knows whether they will take things in stride, analyze all the fact, and then try to figure out what do to next once the dust has settled or break so completely that everything is unimportant until whatever it is they lost is back. Most people hope that they will react the first way; give off an impression of calmness that really isn't there. It's that false calm that causes a person to break.

There's also those who don't react. They are called cold and unfeeling, some would say 'ice queen'. But often that isn't the case. They simply don't know how to react so they don't. They pretend that nothing is different, all the while avidly feeling something is missing from their life. They refuse to acknowledge just how important that thing was. No one is allowed to see just how much they are suffering.

But there's another type of non-reaction. A person shatters so finely that calling them broken would be putting things gently. They don't how to react to disaster so they stop reacting altogether. Doctors would say that it was considered a catatonic state.

Right now it seemed as though Kristina was a non- reactor. She just sat there in one of Abby's stools, staring at the plasma in the lab. Even with the dull look in Kristina's eyes, it was obvious that she was hoping for some sign that her family was alright. However the longer she sat there, the longer she didn't have any news, the further she delved into herself. It wasn't healthy and Kristina knew it. She just didn't car unless her dad and godfather were alright. Other than Grandpa Jethro, they were all she had and she couldn't lose them... not is some freak terrorist attack that had nothing to do with them.

It scared Abby. This little girl didn't deserve a life like that, especially if she was anything like Jeremy and Tony. Jeremy was so compassionate. You never have question whether or not he'll be there for you. Tony was the same but he also had a way to make everything seem better than it actually is. If this girl was raised by the two of them she was sure to be the same way.

* * *

10:58:17

It was over within a matter of seconds, the feeling that they were falling Jeremy somehow managed to free Tony's from whatever was pinning it. After a quick examination in the dim light of the flashlight Tony kept in his backpack, Jeremy could tell that it was broken in several places and needed surgery but the leg wasn't crushed beyond repair. Unfortunately, it was took dark in the tiny space under the desk to set the bone back into place. Jeremy was just thankful that it wasn't a compound fracture. Tony probably would have bleed to death if it had been.

Though the shacking left the two men terrified that it was going to happen again. It was short of amazing that the desk had held for so long under who knows how much weight was on top of it. They both knew that there was a very real possibility that they will get crushed. Though Tony wanted to ignore that possibility for a long as he could. Jeremy was being more realistic that they might not survive.

"Tony, hand me the pack. I want to write Kristy a letter... just in case."

"What do mean 'just in case'? Dad is going to get us out of here. He won't allow anything else. Nothing is going to happen to us. We'll get out of here in no time."

"Tony... C'mon kid, be reasonable. It has to be over an hour since the building went down. They might not make it to us in time. Jethro isn't a superhero, no matter how much he sometimes acts like he is. I just don't want to die with out saying goodbye. You should do the same."

"I'm not giving up hope." Even in the dark Jeremy could see Tony's eyes boring into his own. In the dark it almost looked as though they were glowing like a cat.

"Writing a letter doesn't mean I'm giving up hope that we'll be found. I just want to prepare for the worst. Jethro deserves that at least.... it might make it easier for him."

"Do what you want. Write a damn letter. I can't do it. A deathbed letter for Dad isn't going to comfort him. It might actually make things worse for him. I can't take the risk hurting him more than my possible death would undoubtedly already cause him."

Jeremy could understand that. Tony was the only real family that he had left, Jackson Gibbs hardly counted for anything these days. While he would get custody of Kristina, it wouldn't be the same. They could only hope that at least one of them survived to tell the others the bravery the other had demonstrated. Jeremy only wish was that they both survived... even if that seemed highly unlikely.

* * *

1:38:42

All around Ducky the medical personnel were starting to show signs of exhaustion. All of the local hospitals had sent doctors and nurses to help treat patients. It was obvious as to who were military and who only worked in the safest of hospitals. They were all were efficient to almost a fault but the military doctors, at least the one who had been to war torn countries, had a hard look in their eyes that told that they had seen far too much. Ducky knew that he probably had the same hardness in his eyes a the moment. The military were also more willing to follow his orders. He had an appearance around him that screamed experience that had nothing to do with his age. The non-military doctors couldn't recognize it.

It worried him that he hadn't seen Jethro since he arrived, but with everything that was going on it was likely that Jethro was busy just as he had been for the past few hours. Since he was a federal agent and had years of experience, he was probably recruited to help look for survivors. Many people had been found; a few were dead but most were alive.... but there was no sign of Tony and Jeremy. Ducky knew that Jethro would be devastated if they were found to have not survive.

So far the confirmed death total had been remarkably low. However, a few of those bodies were most definitely going to end up on his tables. The cause of death would be obvious but it still had to be done... hopefully there won't be any NCIS agents crossing his tables.

* * *

1:54:02

There was a hard frown on Kristina's face that had nothing to do with what she was watching on the TV. It was the fact that Abby wouldn't stop staring at her. She wasn't about to fall apart suddenly and she wasn't about to go into shock. Her family had been through many life or death situations during the past few years... Tony more so than her dad, but that was all part of the job. Kristina accepted that along time ago. Never once had she thought that anyone of them would die. She wasn't going to start now.

But she was going to get that lunatic goth to stop staring at her. If that meant escaping during one of few moments Abby wasn't looking at her then so be it. Tony and Grandpa had taught her well. It also drove her dad insane.

* * *

2:26:33

Tony was rapidly deteriorating. Jeremy periodically checked his pulse. It was too slow meaning that he wasn't getting the oxygen that he needed. It seemed that when they felt everything around them shacking their air supply was cut off. They had to be found fast or they were going to die. Being crushed to death seemed to have been the better way to go. At least it was quick.

His breathing was starting to slow down more than Jeremy would have liked. Neither of them were talking, hoping to conserve the little oxygen that they had. Though that had more to do with the fact that Tony was unconscious. Suffocation, or as Ducky would call it asphyxiation, was too slow of a way to die.

He wished Tony had written a goodbye note. Death seemed to be inevitable now.

Jeremy was about to fall asleep himself when he thought he heard footsteps and highly muffled voices. The steps became louder as his mind started to clear. Tony was right... they were going to be saved. He called out to their rescuers, praying that they could hear him. Jeremy only relaxed when he heard an answering call of one Leroy Jethro Gibbs. He really hated it when Tony was right.

He checked Tony's pulse again. It was weaker than the last time that he checked and that was worrying.

* * *

3:01:03

Jethro tore into the emergency room at Bethesda. He had to pick up Kristina (He found her in the break room hiding from Abby. Jethro had to suppress an eye roll when he noticed that she was snaking on Tony's favorite candy bar.) before heading to the hospital. It didn't help that he had to remind Abby that they still had a murder to investigate. She had been slacking on the encrypted files on the laptop. She had permission to visit the two agents after she got that done.

That left Jethro wondering why his boys were even in that office to begin with. Blake's CO's, Lt. Kent Welsh, office was nowhere near the collision site due to renovations. They never should have been in that section of the building. Vivian was ordered to pair up with a probie and try to find Lt. Welsh to try to find out if the Lieutenant knew why they were there.

He was glad that he was listed as next of kin for both of his agents. It was so much easier to get their details when he didn't have jump through medical red tape. Jeremy was awake and on oxygen via a nasal cannula. He wasn't in any danger. Kristina ran off to see him as soon as the nurse gave them the room number. Tony was brought to surgery as soon as a operating room was free, which was fortunately right after he had his x-rays developed. It showed that it was fractured in three different places, including the distal tibia. He still hadn't seen Ducky so he couldn't get his opinion on how the doctors should fix his leg.

His children were fine... or in Tony's case was going to be fine. His worry for the two of them went down several notches but didn't fully go away. It never truly went completely away.

Wednesday September 12, 2001

After one final checkup, Jeremy was given the go ahead to go home. His oxygen count was normal and his lungs looked as healthy as before. In fact, he so well that he sent Kristina back to school. But he wasn't well enough to go back to work. He was forced to take the rest of the week off. Jethro blatantly told him that he didn't want to see him anywhere near the office until Monday. He would be fired if he even thought about going to headquarters.

Tony still hadn't woken up due to anesthesia. Jethro couldn't believe that it hadn't been more than a few months since he was in a very similar situation. This time there was a greater chance that he would survive. At least this time it was just a broken leg.

He had been in and out of the office since he found his two agents. Abby still hadn't broken into the encrypted files. Vivian also hadn't found Lt. Welsh.

* * *

Jethro had no idea how late it was when he made his last visit to Tony for the day. He had been told that Tony had woken for a few minutes around dinner time but he hadn't woken since then. This time he had brought Tony's favorite GWU sweatshirt and a pair of jogging pants that buttoned along the sides. As soon as he was lucid enough he would want to wear something other than the hospital gown that barely fit him.

Tony was just starting to stir when Jethro heard someone approaching. Jethro squeezed Tony's shoulder to tell him to stay quiet. It wasn't the familiar sounds of hospital shoes, but heavy boots. He instinctively knew that it wasn't Abby or Jeremy. Tony obviously wasn't the only one on the floor but when whoever it was stopped outside Tony's door he became worried and put his hand on his gun. He quickly vowed that he wasn't going to kill someone in a hospital. The door opened and Jethro found himself with a gun pointing at him.

"Lt. Welsh?" Jethro asked calmly. The other man nodded and a shot rang out. The shot alerted the Marine guards and all the doctors on the floor and surrounded the man withering on the floor. "He was going to kill my agent." He told the nearest Marine. "You OK kid?" he asked Tony.

Tony nodded but it was the wide eyes that made it known that he was going into shock.

Monday September 24, 2001

One and a half weeks was all that Tony could handle staying at home. He was on crutches but that didn't mean that he couldn't use a computer or talk to suspects or witnesses. He spent the majority of his undercover job at Ohio State with a broken leg. This wasn't any different. Just because he was injured didn't mean that he couldn't do his job. Besides, he still had Vivian and Jeremy to do the field work. He could prove that to his dad/boss easily.

Convincing Abby that he didn't need to be smothered each time he saw her was more difficult.

A/N I told you guys that it was going to be longer. The next chapter will be back to the normal slightly over 4,000 words.

All of the time related to the actually 9/11 events were found on Wikipedia.


	19. October 2001

CBS and Paramount Pictures own NCIS.

You're to Blame

**You are to blame for anything that is good in my heart. You are to blame for this change that has taken me by storm. - Mercy Me**

Chapter Nineteen – October-November 2001

Thursday October 4, 2001

Ever since he returned Tony had been treated as though he was some kind of a hero. Fortunately, his and Jeremy's names were kept out of the news. Neither of them needed the attention... especially not Tony. They were just doing their jobs.

The fact that that Tony couldn't remember anything that happened didn't help. The doctors were saying he was traumatized and they should keep an eye out for symptoms of PTSD. Jethro insisted Tony was fine. He would be ready for field work when he completed physical therapy. Thought the director had ordered that if they had to go to the Pentagon anytime soon, it would be Jethro and Blackadder going.

School wasn't so bad when the teachers weren't evil and the other students didn't give Kristy looks of pure disdain. Somehow it got out that she was only twelve. No one sneered at her but they also weren't lining up to be her best friend.

Luckily for Kristy, basketball tryouts were next month. Unlike the other girls, she practiced at home rather than the school gym. There were always too many people around to practice comfortably.

There was no question whether or not Kristy would make the team. Even with a broken leg, Tony was the best personal trainer she could ever have wanted. It also didn't hurt that he was forced by Jethro to be home by 4:30. Plus, Tony somehow managed to get Evangelina to hep. Angel hated basketball; Kristy considered it a miracle that only a Gibbs could pull off.

"Remind me again why I'm doing this," huffed Angel as she tried to catch her breath.

"You're a good person?" questioned Tony from the sidelines. He was avoiding the real reason she was doing it.

Angel laughed. "I'm not that good."

"You love my dad and would do anything to make him happy even if that means making me happy." Tony choked on a laugh at Kristy's words. Evangelina glared.

"I promised to take you shopping."

"That's right. I wanted a nice pair of Jimmy Choos."

Something seemed to be a little off to Kristina. "You bribed a federal agent."

Angel smirked as Tony glared at her. "I really didn't like that you did that."

"I'm pretty sure you aren't supposed to." Her smirked only widened.

There was a short pause where Tony and Angel simply glared at each other. Except for Tony's movie obsession, the two of them were frighteningly similar.

"Can we get back to practicing now?"

Tony quickly glanced at his watch. "Nope. Time for you to do your homework.

Monday October 8, 2001

The girl that sat across from Kristina was odd. She introduced herself as Alice James then just started talking as though they had been the best of friends for years. At first it felt like an ambush, but Kristy was soon at ease in Alice's presence. However, just because she was at ease didn't mean she was any less confused. Alice was the only person that's been nice to... well not including her family but they didn't count. Even though not all families are nice to each other it was at least expected as the norm.

The oddest part was the fact that before lunch was over she had Alice's cell number in her phone. She could swear that the older girl was tutting as she went through the list of names on her phone. When she went through a mental list of who was in there, she grimaced. The youngest person in her phone was Abby. Kristy was thankful that Alice didn't comment on it.

* * *

Kristy wasn't sure how it happened but after school she found herself be followed home. Alice had invited herself and her friend Cambria, who preferred to be called Bree, over to the apartment. She never randomly brought someone home before so she had no frame of reference as to how her dad or uncle were going to react.

The girls ignored Angel as they went into Kristy's immaculately designed bedroom. Kristy knew that Angel was going to call her dad but she didn't care. He had every right to know that she had friends over.

Bree went straight to the books. The shelves covered two full walls. Scanning the titles, she saw that many of them weren't in English. Most of the languages were recognizable even though she couldn't read them but quite a few left her feeling clueless. She tried to figure out what some of them were but it soon became obvious that it was pointless.

"Is that Russian?" asked Alice from the other end of the bookshelf.

"Um... yeah, it is." She had to choose her words carefully. It wasn't easy to explain Callen. Sometimes it was better not to. "A friend of the family started teaching me a few years ago. For my last birthday he sent me this." She pulled out a book. "Russian fairy tales."

"What else do you have?" asked Bree.

Kristy decided to go in order. Pointing to each section of books she told her new friends what they were. "Arabic, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Russian, Spanish, and of course, English." The English section was obviously much larger than the others.

"Are you training to be a UN translator?" blurted Alice.

Kristina giggled. To an outsider it probably seemed that way. "No, I was home schooled so I had a lot of free time on my hands. It was an easy way to keep busy. Besides, it was fun. Though Uncle Tony wasn't too happy that I took his _Arabic for Beginners_ books."

"So," said Alice before the subject got any weirder, "you up for some shopping this weekend?"

Wednesday October 10, 2001

With a month behind him since he broke his leg, Tony decided that he hated enforced desk duty. It meant that when the others went out into the field he was stuck by himself. Abby tried to keep him company but she was often too busy.

Now, thankfully, Abby was free to stay with him. However, she was getting restless just playing cards with him. Tony didn't blame her. She was very much like him and Jethro, she always had to keep moving. It was one of the ways she reminded him of Kelly.

"I'm going out for hot chocolate. Do you want one?"

"No thanks. I don't usually drink hot chocolate until the first snow of the season. It's a family tradition. A coffee would be nice though."

"Odd,"Abby nearly whispered. Tony's sharp ears picked it up."

"What's odd."

"Gibbs said the same thing a few days ago when I asked him if he wanted a cup. Well, except he was gruff and you are polite. Where did you learn to be so polite?"

"My mom," he answered without thinking.

"Is that so?" asked Jethro from behind him. There was a teasing tone in his voice.

"Oh, hey Boss! Abby was just about to get coffee." Jethro took a sip from his fresh cup. Tony looked at it longingly. "But now she's going to her lab to process evidence." Abby took that as her cue to leave.

"Blackadder! Get Tony's coffee."

"But―" she paused at his glare. "Yes, Gibbs."

Tony passed her a note on her way out that said that she had better get two because the boss was bound to run out before she got back.

Tony knew that she didn't like having to run all of the his errands. Obviously she didn't know what it was like having to carry a hot coffee while trying to maneuver crutches. He could see that she felt as though her full potential. Maybe they weren't but she needed to earn the team's trust first.

Tuesday October 16,2001

Years ago Tony had decided that he hated Halloween. Trick-or-treating with Kelly made it fun again but after her death he couldn't get excited for the non-holiday. Kristy knew about his dislike for Halloween but he never ruined it for her. Sometimes he even helped pick out her costumes. Last year she was a ninja.

They had been living in New Jersey at the time as well as Callen, playing as brothers. They had been assigned to protect a colonel with a stalker. This particular colonel had more than his fair share of confidential information. Problem with that though was the tiny fact that the stalker wasn't after the colonel but was very interested in his son. They didn't have as tight as security around the rest of the family as they did the colonel. Nothing could convince the boy to go out on Halloween with his mother and a less experienced Callen following from a distance. They boy had been kidnapped while Callen had been speaking to a local cop who thought he acting suspiciously. The boy hadn't been found for two weeks. He had nearly died and Tony had shot (it was only a graze but it still hurt) by so called 'friendly fire'. Tony hadn't trusted an FBI agent since and neither had Jethro once he heard what happened.

Tony shook his head free of those memories and focused on the present. He swore that this year would be better even though ever since he started at NCIS weird things happen on Halloween. But now all of his attention was on the three girls he was escorting. They were crowded around the fake police paraphernalia. Tony could see exactly what they wanted.

Thursday October 18, 2001

The music was blaring when Tony went down to see Abby. He needed a favor and he wasn't sure if they were at that stage in their friendship yet. A sigh escaped as he entered the lab. He turned off the noise that Abby called music off much to her displeasure.

"Hey!"She smiled when she saw that it was Tony. This was a surprise since the last case was declared a suicide. "What are you doing down here?"

"I need a tiny favor," he began hesitantly. "It'll only take a few minutes to to do."

"Just spit it out DiNozzo."

"I need a couple fake ID's, for Kristina and her friend Alice. But the catch is that is has to be obvious that they are fake but not too obvious."

"Let me guess, this has something to do with Kristy's Halloween party."

"Yeah, can you do it. I'm good at spotting fakes I just can't create them. So, will you do it?"

Abby pretended to think about it. "Yeah, just give me a few hours. What kind of ID's do you need?"

"Kristy and Alice want to be Special Agents. Kristy had the idea to be NCIS... she wanted to make us more well known."

"That's sweet. But why am I making only two? I thought Kristy had another friend, Cambria?"

"Bree wants to be their suspect. The way she was eying the handcuffs was a little disturbing."

"Alright," laughed Abby. "Come back before you leave. I'll have them done before boss-man makes you go home."

"Thanks Abbs." Tony kissed her cheek. "You're the best."

Wednesday October 31, 2001

The girls had decided that they would get ready for the Halloween dance at Kristy's apartment. She had the most room. Evangelina had been called in to help with makeup and hair. She also helped them to choose what they were going to wear under their new NCIS jackets, which were to remain unzipped. Kristy was wearing a black blouse similar to what Viv usually wore to work Alice's was wearing a white blouse but she was wore a black fitted vest that showed off the beginnings of curves. Kristy wore jeans while Alice wore a pleated skirt. They both wore heals. Since Kristina and Alice were wearing hats they both had their hair held back. Kristy's hair was much longer than Alice's so it was put in a braid. Their makeup was very understated. Kristy also had a pair of handcuffs that were very real. The key was in her pocket.

Bree's outfit was a very different from her friends. Her shirt was a green crop top turtleneck with long sleeves. She wore a tight leather jacket that was partly zipped up so she wasn't showing too much skin. She didn't get into trouble. She also wore a black skirt that went down to her knees and showed off her long legs. Her normally straight mahogany hair was in loose curls held back by a green headband that was the exact shade as her top. Here makeup was bright, including red lipstick and green eyeshadow. She was also wearing some fake handcuffs. Jeremy convinced her that it would be a bad idea to cuff her from behind even if that was normal SOP.

Tony and Jeremy gave them strict instructions that they are not to use the real handcuffs even though they had the key.

* * *

Kristy looked over the school's gym with only slight interest. She had never been to a school dance before but she had seen enough movies that had dances. She wasn't all that impressed. There were all the traditional decorations such as cardboard witches and vampires on the walls and bleachers but nothing stood out as original. Even the music was a little out of date. She could have sworn that one of the songs was by LL Cool J that was popular in 1990.

Her friends were on the dance floor, not caring how lame the music was. She wandered off to the locker room so that she could use the bathroom, knowing that her friends weren't paying any attention to her... no one was paying any attention to her. As she was washing her hands she noticed that the music had stopped and a man was shouting, many of the words weren't something you usually repeated in front of a twelve-year-old. She peeked her head out the door and was a little surprised that there were three men with very big guns that she didn't immediately recognize. She held in a gasp as she realized they were DMR's, a modified M14 that was used by the Corps. She also saw the M9's that were stuffed in the men's belts. After getting over the shock of seeing military issued weapons she noticed that they were wearing battle dress uniforms also known as BDU's. They also had their dog-tags on, which in Kristy's opinion wasn't exactly smart.

Never before had Kristina been tempted to pull a fire-alarm but right now it seemed like it would have been a good idea. Unfortunately the alarm was on the opposite side of the gym from the bathrooms. She took out her phone and hoped that no one heard her as she called her dad at work. She knew that her dad wasn't expecting a call from her for a few more hours. It was a surprise that he answered after the second ring.

"Dr. Parkinson."

"Daddy!" That got his attention. Kristy hadn't called him that in years other than when she was sick or upset. Right now it was obvious that she was very upset.

* * *

Jethro tried not to eavesdrop on Jeremy's call but when he saw the look on the man's face he grabbed Tony's attention. The last words Jeremy spoke before he hung up had him and Tony collecting their SIG's.

"The school dance has been taken hostage," Jeremy told them in the elevator. "Kristy is in the locker room. Fortunately no one had thought of looking for students in there."

* * *

Kristy watched as the men she named 'Marine Thug 2' and 'Marine Thug 3' collected her classmates cellphones. Like the middle school she went to there were a lot of students that had had parents that worked for the government, mostly as agents. She was the only one who had family at NCIS as far as she knew. Though she had to admit that she had no way of knowing whether if any of them had parents at NCIS.

She kept her phone on vibrate, but she also noticed that her battery was running low. She hoped that someone would call her back to let her know that everything was going to be alright.

Once again she peeked out through the small crack that she made. Everyone was huddled together at one end of gym, away from the door and windows. As she watched she went over everything she knew about the gym. It was detached from the main school so it consisted of the gym, the pool (which was locked and only the gym teachers and vice principal had a key for), the locker rooms, and a few tiny offices; all of which were down the same hallway. There was only one entrance to the gym. The windows were low and were made out of very thick glass so that they wouldn't break if they were accidentally hit by a ball or a student. But they were very much see through and even now weren't covered for the dance. 'Marine Thug 1' kept his back to the windows but the other two did no such thing.

'Marine Thug 1' wanted Cambria. Now that she had time to study the man she could see a family resemblance. The man was Bree's father. She was sure of it. However, there were so many students that he didn't know which one he wanted. Them being in costume didn't help his confusion.

Kristina had heard all her life that there was no such thing as an ex-Marine. Her grandpa and uncle were prime examples to that. Even though it had been many years since they had been in the service they still lived by the code of 'semper fi'. Her whole family lived by that code even though only two people were actually in in the Corps.

"Hey Boss," called 'Marine Thug 2', "we have company!"

From the distance she was at, Kristy couldn't see anything but she did hear her grandpa's voice. "Let the kids go!" Was all she heard from him.

The first answer was shots coming from the M14's. "Not until I get to see my daughter."

While that was happening the other two thugs were yelling at the students and chaperones, demanding that they tell them who made the call. 'Marine Thug 1' then turned to the crowd, knowing that the agents on the other side of the door wouldn't shoot. They wouldn't want to hit an innocent bystander.

"If the person that made that damn call comes forward, as well as my daughter, I will let the others go." The man seemed like he was telling the truth. She was about to reveal herself when she felt her phone vibrate.

_Don't go._ She saw the text from her dad and obeyed. Then the man began to threaten to shoot if they the person didn't admit to making the call. Again her dad sent a text. _Don't. _This time she was about to send on back. _I'm sorry. I have to. SF. _

But before she sent it Tony and Jethro stormed the gym. Two of the thugs were subdued before they even knew what was going on and were in cuffs. Unfortunately they only had two pairs of cuffs between them.

Kristy deleted her original text and sent another one. _Can I go?_ She got a one word message back. _Go!S_he left the locker room but fortunately no one really noticed her. She really didn't want to be a hero even though she was one. However, after looking at Jethro for permission, she did cuff Bree's father.

* * *

It was late when they were done at Navy Yard. Only the two girls were questioned about what happened. No one on the team wanted to interview hundreds of students and half a dozen teachers when they all were probably going to give the same answers. Bree promised that she wouldn't say anything about Kristina's role in what happened that night. Kristina didn't feel like she did that much. Her grandpa and uncle were the true heroes... especially since Tony was still of crutches.

A/N sorry that it's so late. I sprained my wrist in a very unusual manner and my typing speed isn't all that great. Plus the fact that I have a similar reaction to painkillers as Tony didn't help keep me focused. That's also why this is so incredibly shorter that the other chapters.


	20. November December 2001

CBS and Paramount Pictures own NCIS.

You're to Blame

**You are to blame for anything that is good in my heart. You are to blame for this change that has taken me by storm. - Mercy Me**

Chapter Twenty – November- December 2001

Friday November 2, 2001

The sights and sounds of the holiday season were already popping up everywhere. Even the walls of NCIS weren't safe from the tacky cardboard turkeys. Funny enough, a few of them were missing their heads. Tony suspected Abby had something to do with it but he had no proof. Plus, accusing a co-worker of random acts of vandalism wasn't on his 'to-do' list.

However, at the moment, Abby was the furthest thing on his mind. He was finally having the cast removed. This was far too long coming. Tony wanted nothing more than to be free of the annoying chunk of plaster that covered his leg.... even if that meant wearing a brace for another month. That just meant he was just that much closer to being back on full field duty, though the doctor did say that wasn't happening until the new year.

Monday November 5, 2001

It was the first day back to school since the Halloween dance. Everyone knew what happened but no one knew who it was that made the call. The surprising part was that no one stepped up to claim that they did. This led to an all out hunt by the end of fifth period. Many of the teachers were offering rewards to the mystery hero. Even after that, no one confessed.

Kristy was glad that Bree kept her promise, although part of that reason she didn't say anything was because she didn't want anyone to figure that the crazy man with a gun was her father. Kristy couldn't fault her for that.

One person, however, kept giving her odd looks, Mr. Parma; he was the ninth grade art teacher. He asked her to stay after class. This particular teacher never does that so all color drained from her face as she stood in front of him... which would have been ironic if she had the chance to think about it.

"I know what you did at the dance." Kristy wasn't sure how she felt about the bluntness of Mr. Parma's comment.

She kept her face blank. It wouldn't be good if he figured out what she was feeling. "I don't know what you are talking about." She had never been that good of a liar.

"No? Then you weren't the one who called for help. I saw you Kristina. You went into the locker room and didn't come back. You were the only person that had the opportunity to make that call."

Kristy knew that it was pointless to try to lie again. "It was no big deal. I did what I had to do... what anyone would do. Doing nothing was a risk that I couldn't take."

"You know that I have to tell Principal Cox that it was you."

"I don't see why." She reigned in her emotions. Getting frustrated was the last thing she needed.

"Kristina, the longer this goes on the harder they will hunt you down. If you want, I'll only tell the principal and he can make an announcement saying that you came forward would prefer to remain anonymous. No one else has to know."

"I'll think about it."

Thursday November 8, 2001

When Jeremy got a call from Kristina asking him to come get her from school, he didn't know what to think. It wasn't often that his daughter cried (being raised by two male feds can toughen you up pretty quickly) but the way his daughter's words were mushed together made it painfully obvious that she was.

After Jeremy explained what was going to Jethro, Tony offered to go with. They didn't have any active open cases so he nodded his approval. It would be easier for them to report in if they both went. One could stay with Kristy while the other spoke to him.

At the school Jeremy was told that Principal Cox wanted to talk to him. Nothing good ever came out of talking with a school's principal. This time was bound to be no different. Tony sat with Kristy, trying to get her to calm down so that he could talk to her and get her side of the story. Jeremy reluctantly went into the office.

"Mr. Park―"

"Doctor," Jeremy interrupted. He didn't usually bother correcting people on his proper title, that was Jethro's thing, but there was something about the third man that made Jeremy want to to know that he was superior to him in every way.

"Excuse me, Dr. Parkinson. This is Mr. Parma. He will explain what's going on." Jeremy didn't miss the glare Principal Cox gave the other man.

The idiot admitted that he told the entire school that Kristina was the mystery caller... without her permission or knowledge that he was planning to. Jeremy understood why his daughter was so upset. In her mind, in his as well, she had been betrayed. Despite all that she had seen... despite her tough outer shell, Kristina had never been lied too, not like this. She still believed that in spite of everything, the human race is good at heart. And Mr. Parma destroyed that for her.

This is going to be a hundred times worse than the Santa debatable of '95.

"What kind of punishment is he looking at?"asked Jeremy, totally ignoring the art teacher.

Normally Cox wouldn't tell parents how he was going to punish one of his teachers.... but this guy scared the living daylights out of him. There was no telling what the man could do to him.

"Right now we're looking at an unpaid suspension for the rest of the semester pending a meeting with the school's board. They will decide whether or not he has a job waiting for him in January."

"That sounds fair."

Tony had warned Jethro that they were bringing Kristina back to the office. She hadn't been there... well it had been a while. She was still upset but at least she wasn't crying anymore. Jeremy had no idea what Tony said to her but it worked. He had a feeling that he was never going to find out what it was.

Abby was bouncing when she heard that the younger girl was . She really like Kristina after she got out of her catatonic state.

Vivian was just plain confused. No one told her what was going on... not that was unusual. She was used to being out of the loop when it came to her teammates personal lives. She didn't even know that Jeremy even had a daughter.

Friday November 16, 2001

It was not every day that Jeremy stood in line for over twenty hours to get movie tickets. That was more like something Tony would do. But since he had a more flexible schedule he had dutifully agreed to get the tickets for the new Harry Potter movie. Kristina actually pouted to be allowed to go to the midnight showing despite the fact that she would have to miss school the next day. But he didn't just but tickets for him and Kristina. No that wasn't good enough. He had to purchase tickets for the entire family, which now seemed to include Abby and Ducky. Ducky waved off having to go claiming he had to take care of his mother but Abby was more than happy to suffer through watching a movie about a preteen wizard. Even little Darby was excited about going to the movie. Though it might have more to do with the fact that she allowed to stay up past her bedtime than seeing a Harry Potter movie.

Jeremy did put his foot down when Kristy insisted that they all dressed like characters from the book. He didn't care that most everyone else was doing it. He was a federal agent (sorta) and was expected to act like one. Making his daughter happy was his top priority but even he had his limits.

As it turned out Darby and Peyton had fallen asleep ten minutes into the movie and Addison wasn't that far behind them. Only Abby seemed to have the same amount of energy after the movie that she had before it. That was thanks to the unhealthy amount of Caf-Pow she drank throughout the day.

None of the adults would have admitted that the movie was cute. But if they didn't have kids they would never had gone to see... especially a showing that was so incredibly late. Kristy and Addison may not be going to school the next day but they still had to go to work in a few hours. The world didn't suddenly stop because they were tired. And bad guys didn't stop killing because a little wanted to see a movie.

* * *

It was just after lunch when the team was called out to a mass grave near Norfolk. Each decomposing body had a set of dog tags around their necks. Each name corresponded with a name of a sailor that had gone UA, some of them had been missing for several years but according to Ducky, the latest body was only two weeks old. When the tenth body was unearthed Jethro called in another team to help with recovery.

Jethro was on his cell the whole time with Tony. He gave the name of each victim to him so that a quick background check could be made. So far there hadn't been any connections between them other than working on the same base. But it didn't seem as though any of them knew each other.

Then Tony noticed something peculiar. Many of the last names were distinctly Jewish. He hoped that they weren't dealing with a hate crime. Some things just wasn't wanted so close to the holidays.

Monday November 18, 2001

Kristina wasn't sure if she wanted to do the basketball tryouts after all that happened. She wasn't sure if she would make the team because she was known as a hero or if she really had the skill to be on a high school team. The coach was one of the people giving an award. She wanted to know that she deserved to be one the team. It wasn't that she doubted her skill. She knew she was good, better that the girls that practiced in the school's gym but that didn't matter when you're on the team for something that wasn't related to basketball. In the end, she chose not to tryout. Jeremy told her that he understood her choice and didn't blame her for not wanting to associate herself with a coach like that. She could always tryout next year when she could qualify for the varsity team and wouldn't have to deal with the freshman coach.

Wednesday November 21, 2001

It was the night before Thanksgiving and they still had no leads to who the mass killer was. They spoke to people who knew the sailors (often times over MTAC feds) but they either didn't have much to say or didn't really remember the sailors that well. It seemed as though the case was in danger of becoming a cold case.

Thursday November 22, 2001

This was the first time in three years that the whole family (except for Andy and Randy) had been together for the holiday. Either Tony and Jeremy or Jethro would have been out of town... or in some cases out of the country. But whenever they could, everyone would meet up at Jethro's house. Even Alex and Samantha would come to the house since neither set of parents approved of the match.

Jethro was thrilled to have a full house again. The only thing that would have made the day better would have been having Shannon and Kelly back. Shannon would have been excited with having grandchildren despite her young age. She had always wanted a large family. But (that is if Kathryn wasn't around) she would have been bugging Tony to settle down and start a family of his own.

Kelly would have been eighteen by now and a freshman in college or maybe in the Navy. Jethro couldn't help but wonder what she would have been like and how many boyfriends he would have scared off. No one would have been good enough for his little girl if they couldn't stand up to him.

This time of the year always brought those thoughts to the forefront of his mind. Their deaths hurt and tore at him just as much as it did all those years ago. He learned to live without them But he knew that he never would have survived if he didn't have Tony.

He was so absorbed in his thoughts and watching the older kids chasing around Darby that he didn't notice Tony sitting down next to him. Something that rarely happened.

"Hey, you OK?"

"Yeah. I'm fine." He looked at Tony. "Just wondering what your kids are going to look like." The lie slipped easily past his lips.

"Well... I guess..." Jethro smiled at Tony's discomfort. "You know that it's highly unlikely that I'll have kids, right? I love kids but I'm more fit to be a godfather. It's an Italian thing," he joked.

"I know, son. But I can't help but want grandchildren that are my own and not just borrowed."

"So, Ducky invited me and Jeremy to his place to Thanksgiving yesterday." He desperately changed the subject. "I had a real tough time coming up with a realistic reason why we couldn't make it."

"What did you tell him?" He took the bait. It was better than explaining that he was thinking about his mom and sister again.

"Told him that I was going to see a few old college friends. It wasn't a complete lie. I did meet Sam and Alex while I was in college. It shouldn't matter that they were still in high school and we never actually went to the same college."

"That works. It's probably a good thing that none of went. Last time he invited me he tried to set me up with one of his friends."

"Diane?"

"Yep."

"Um Dad... Didn't you date Diane for over a year?"

"Yeah, what does that matter?"

"It doesn't. I was just curious because it sounds to me that he did more than try."

"At least I didn't marry her."

"You know someone that did." The few memories Tony had of Diane were not pleasant. He was glad he was able to talk Jethro out of proposing to her. But at least she was slightly better than Ginger. He shuddered at the thought.

"Fornell did. I warned him of her. He's going through a divorce now. They actually had a kid together. Think she's around Peyton's age."

"Am I ever going to get to meet Fornell."

"Probably. He's an FBI agent."

They would have talked more but Coral came in telling them that dinner was ready. Jethro was glad that he was able to keep Tony distracted from what he was really thinking. He didn't need to carry his burdens as well as his own.

* * *

They were just finishing their pumpkin pie when Samantha told them that she had announcement.

"Quiet down everyone. Alex and I are having another baby!" Now that they all looked at her, she did seem a little rounder than usual.

"Congratulations," said Coral after everyone took in this new information. "Though that really isn't that much of a surprise. We've all been wondering when you going to have another one after Darby. We all know that Alex wants at least a dozen kids." Samantha paled at the thought of having that many kids while everyone else laughed.

Saturday December 1, 2001

It was the first snow of the season when Tony, Jeremy, Kristina, Samantha and her kids went out to get Christmas trees. Jethro and Alex stayed home getting out Christmas decorations. It wasn't the family tradition that Tony remembered with Kelly and Shannon but it was close enough. Alex was reluctant to let his pregnant wife to go Christmas tree hunting but since Tony and Jeremy were with her he didn't have any right to complain too much.

Tony stayed inside and made hot chocolate, with Darby and Peyton playing in the other room (Addison was finally deemed old enough to help her bigger cousin), while the others decorated. Every year Jethro would always say that he was far too accident prone to get up on a ladder. Plus, with his leg still in a brace it was better that he kept both feet on solid ground. Silently, Tony agreed but it was part of what they do every year that they could.

Jethro knew that without his family he wouldn't have even bothered getting out the old plastic Santa and his reindeer. There wouldn't have been any point to any of it. Sure part of decorating was for the public but to Jethro it was a time for the family to spend together.

Monday December 10, 2001

They had just finished off another case and Tony decided to go back to working the Holocaust case, which is what the mass grave was tactlessly being called. For some reason this case was really getting to him. The director tried to call him on it. Morrow said that he was getting too close but Tony ignored his warnings. The older man didn't know about his time in Israel and had no reason to worry.

During his free time Tony went to synagogues that the victims frequented. All the rabbis said the same thing. The victims had suddenly stopped coming to the synagogue. It seemed as though they had befriended Christians and had converted. Tony wasn't sure if that was true or not but he went to talk to the families they said that they were. Some more orthodox families even admitted that they were sitting _Shiva _long before they knew that knew that the victim was dead. When Tony asked who the friends were, none of them could... or would, answer. But they all suspected that the friends were in the Navy... not that help him any. There were a lot of people in the Navy.

That left Tony with more work than he started with but with his free time dwindling, he had no time to look through known associates of the victims. As far as he could tell there was no one that they had in common.

While he had profiling training he wasn't as good at as Jeremy was. All he got from him was that the suspect wasn't antisemitic but had a problem with Jews converting. Tony had figured that out himself the day they got the case.

For right now, Tony had no choice to put the case to bed. He vowed to solve the case one day but it wasn't today.

Monday December 24, 2001

Jethro once again had the whole Hayes family gathered in his home. He knew that it was unlikely that they would be able to spend the next day together. They had their own Christmas traditions.

He had them all gathered around the Christmas tree so that he could give his grandchildren their gifts. Darby, being the youngest, was allowed to open her gift first. She always had been an unusual child and took her time to open the box that she was give. She was thrilled to find _Candy Land_. They had Peyton's game but they had lost many of the cards to Darby's excessive chewing phase.

Peyton was next and he let out a squeal when he saw _Shrek_. He had wanted that movies since it came out the previous month. As long as Jethro didn't have to watch it he didn't see why the kid couldn't enjoy it.

That left Addison for last. The girl was smart but wasn't interested in books like her older cousin. Jethro didn't want to get her a movie as well. It was hard enough to pick one out for Peyton. In the end he got her a new scarf. Jethro wasn't sure about it but the girl was more fashion conscience than Kristina. She loved it and wore it for the rest of the night.

Tuesday December 25, 2001

Unlike Thanksgiving, Tony and Jethro had to work on Christmas. Jeremy was lucky that he was only a psychologist and didn't have work on holidays if he didn't want to and since he had Kristina to spend the day with he didn't want to. The two of them didn't mind that much. They were together and that was all that mattered.

Director Morrow had called in a caterer for those that had to work even though he didn't come in himself. No one at the office wanted to try to track down a restaurant that saw still open. Even fewer wanted to be the one that had to go pick it up. But with the caterer, they had food delivered to them that was actually quite edible.

They were let out at decent time and made it home before Jeremy dug into the glazed ham that Tony had planned on cooking himself. Jeremy still wasn't anywhere near the cook that Tony was. But it was pretty hard to ruin a ham as long as you didn't overcook it.

The rest of the night went on quietly. They exchanged gifts... or rather spoiled Kristy rotten with new books and clothes.

A/N Please check out my new poll. I really have no clue as to what to call this kid, but I'm leaning toward Teagan or Kendall. Or if you want PM me with suggestions but they have to be unisex names. And please, no Parker. I don't want my character to be named after the kid on _Bones. _I like the show but that would feel like stealing. I like my names to be a little more original.

I also have to say that I know very little about Judaism. If I got anything about sitting _Shiva _wrong please don't be offended. I got all my info from Wikipedia and we all know how reliable that site is sometimes.

Also, Merry Christmas. Reviews make wonderful gifts. I mean that. They make me all happy inside, like a nice pink Merona scarf. Wishes of Merona scarves for all who reviews. I love Merona! Now if only I had a hat to go with the scarf. Well, my birthday is in four days so maybe I can convince Daddy that I need a decent looking hat... in pink. I bet you can guess that I got a pink Merona scarf for Christmas.

One last thing, I don't own _Shrek_... not even the movie. I liked it fine but not enough to own it.

And sorry that this A/N is so long.


	21. January, Feburary, March, June, July '02

CBS and Paramount Pictures own NCIS.

You're to Blame

**You are to blame for anything that is good in my heart. You are to blame for this change that has taken me by storm. - Mercy Me**

Chapter Twenty-one – January-July 2002

Saturday January 5, 2002

It wasn't very common to share your birthday with a parent, but Kristina and Jeremy were such people. Turning thirteen was a big deal to Kristina. Jeremy's thirty-second wasn't so much... well, except for Abby who made every birthday into something that had the be celebrated.

Kristy wasn't really that into celebrating her birthday. A lot of the time they were away from the family and it was just her, her dad, and Uncle Tony. Often her gifts were usually sent to Grandpa Jethro's house for safe keeping until she came home to open them... it was the same with the two adults as well. That was just how life was when you are constantly moving.

Alice had once asked her if growing up like that was lonely. But that wasn't the case at all. Kristy had a lot of friends. Granted she only spoke the via IM, chat rooms, and e-mail. It depended on what timezone she was currently in. Though it was near impossible for her to see them again since they didn't actually know her name.

She liked having her small family dinners. It wasn't as though she was very extroverted or that she lived to he the center of attention. Not that she was shy. She just didn't like everyone's eyes on her. It was part of her 'training' when she found out about the family's greatest secrets. 'Lesson one' was don't use names when talking about the family unless the outsider knew about the familial bound. Such as Abby and Ducky knowing that Kristina thought of Tony as an uncle. They didn't know that he was her godfather. Not that it would have been a huge deal if they did know.

Abby didn't get that memo and started asking how many guests they were expecting at the party she didn't know she was having. The goth deflated slightly when she was told that only family was going to be there. But Abby got her enthusiasm back when she was told that she invited as well as Ducky.

It would just be trickier with the younger two. Only Addison was old enough to understand the 'lessons', not to be confused with the Gibbs' family rules... which was an odd thing to call them since only two of them were actually Gibbs and one of them was pretending that he wasn't. Peyton was intelligent like everyone else in the family but he was still very young. It was a lot to ask from to not call Jethro 'grandpa' in front of outsiders. Fortunately, Darby wasn't that much of a talker in front of strangers. And Abby was a strange as you could get from her preppy little world.

Jeremy had to explain explain to Abby and Ducky why they were having a family gathering at Gibbs' house. Though all he had to say was that Jethro had the biggest house that hadn't been taken over by toys. That appeased Ducky's curiosity but Abby still thought that it was a bit odd.

* * *

Laughter was heard from the house when Abby and Ducky arrived. It wasn't usually a sound that they associated with the hard nosed Gunny they knew. Not that they thought that he was an unhappy person. That was the furthest from what they believed.

For Abby, it was the first time she seen Gibbs in a domestic setting. She heard stories from Stan Burley and Ducky about how he was like around kids but to actually witness it... it fit. She had never seen him so relaxed. Of course they were usually hunting down killers and other bad guys but she had seen him during his down time as well. But this was different. This was, in all the ways that she witnessed, was family. It was a little shocking to say the least.

"The difference in him is remarkable, isn't it, my dear?" Ducky said from behind her, causing Abby to jump.

"Gees, don't sneak up on me like that. It's bad enough that Viv is the only agent on Gibbs' team that can't do that to me. I don't need you to do it as well."

"I apologize." He smiled in amusement. She was right. Quite often he would find one of the men on Gibbs team in autopsy or in his office and not know that they were there unless they said something. It was very discerning since he had pressurized doors. They did tend to announce whenever someone entered his domain.

"You are right though. I have never seen Gibbs like this before." She did feel a little jealous.

"I can say the same." Abby quirked an eyebrow. "I have seen him happy, especially around Anthony and you. But now, he seems to be in his element." They watched as he tossed Darby into the air. The tiny girl squealed in delight. Ducky's smile softened. "He does seem to be a natural with her."

Little did they know, Tony heard everything that they said. He now knew that they had to be a little more careful around them. He knew that he could trust them with his life but it was too much to ask him to trust them with something personal... at for now it was. Tony didn't care that he was under orders from the director not to say anything, not anymore.

Wednesday January 16, 2002

Tony was once again going through the Holocaust murders. He still winced at the name. One time he went to Morrow to get the file name changed since they victims really weren't Jewish anymore but that was a total failure. All that matter was what these people once were and Tony thought that was wrong.

Reading the files he noticed something that he missed before. He didn't have a name but he did have an idea about who it could be... at least a job title anyways. The families never got a name of the victims new 'Christian friends' but they all seemed to have that in common. The chance that they were the same friends in each case seemed to be unlikely. Tony wasn't so sure of that anymore. He, nor did his dad, believed in coincidences. It was all the more likely that one of those 'Christians' was a chaplain. Finding the right chaplain was going to be the problem.

Now all he had to do was find some proof.

Monday January 21, 2002

Tony's research had to be put on hold again. Another mass grave had been found. Fortunately, if you could find anything fortunate in murder, there were only five bodies in this grave instead of the twenty-three that were found in the first mass grave. Unfortunately, each body had a crumpled sheet of paper that had a typed note. Each one said the same thing, _'Don't try to find me. I doing this for the greater good. It will all work out for the better if you leave me alone.'_

"He's taunting me." Tony slammed his fist against the ME's truck. Luckily he didn't cause a dent or Ducky would have been

"HEY!" yelled Jethro. "You need to calm down. I can't have you on this case if you're going to react like that."

Tony hung his head, properly chastised. He didn't apologized. "I know, Boss. I can do this. I have to be on this case."

"Why this case? Why is this one so important to you?"

He looked around making sure that no was around to listen in on them. No one knew about what he was tell him. "I never really told you what it was like living in Israel. This was the kind that happened all the time over there. People were constantly being killed or targeted because they were Jewish. Back here, at least until recently, it wasn't all that obvious that people were targeted for their religion. Sure, I noticed racial prejudice, experienced that myself, being called a mafia wannabe from time to time since I'm only half Italian." That was news to Jethro. "But no one really cared is someone was Jewish or converted from Judaism. I had always hoped that I wouldn't have to experience all of this again.

"Please, don't take me off from this case. I know that I'm about make a break through... I just need a little time to go through the list.

"Alright. Keep your head on straight and you can stay on this case. We all know how useless Blackadder can be."

Tony let out a small chuckle. "Still trying to get rid of her. You know that she isn't that bad. Ducky seems to really like her. She probably has some issues." Tony narrowed her eyes. "You know what they are."

"Yep."

"Going to share?"

"Nope."

Tony stuck out his tongue earning himself a head slap. "I'm really getting too old for those."

Monday February 5, 2002

For the first time since getting the Holocaust case it seemed as though they finally had a lead that was worth following. Tony found a name for the possible chaplain that befriended the dead sailors. Lieutenant Nikolaas Timotheus Alders was a Dutch national based at Oceana. His father was a very strict pastor of a tiny Lutheran church. He grew up in the Netherlands during the 1950's. The late Grandfather Alders was also a pastor that remembered the Holocaust very well and told stories to his grandchildren. Lt. Alders was expected to follow the same path as the other men in his family as he was the oldest son but confused when he joined the Navy. They were appeased when he became a chaplain's assistant and then a regular chaplain after he finished college.

Now all they had to do was find the man. It seemed that he went on leave and didn't tell anyone where he went. Not willing to wait until he got back in case he decided to start killing again, Tony and Viv were given the task to track the chaplain down.

Things like that were always easier said than done.

Thursday February 7, 2002

It was by pure coincidence (though Tony would never say that to Jethro's face) that finally caught up to Lt. Alders. They had been keeping taps on the Lieutenant's mother's phone. He finally caller her and they got his address. He was holed up at a hotel in Tega Cay, South Carolina, which was only twenty miles south of Charlotte, North Carolina. They had no idea why he chose that particular suburb. It wasn't all that close to any bases.

Now though, Lt. Alders was cooling off in the interrogation room. The three agents and Jeremy were watching him from observation. His head was bowed and his hands were folded in prayer.

"Jeremy, Viv, you two stay in here. Tony this one is yours." Jethro clamped a hand on his shoulder and steered him toward the door.

"Really!" smiled Tony. Doing an interrogation was a rare treat. Jethro only glared at him. "Of course I'm going it. You wouldn't tell me that unless you meant it, Boss. I'll be going now. Yeah, I'm gone." Jethro only shook his head at Tony's ramblings. That did seem to happen a lot.

Jeremy was worried about letting Tony do this interrogation. He kept his mouth shut in front of Vivian but he knew that Jethro could sense his unease. He knew that if Jethro thought Tony could handle it then he had to have faith that he could.

It was only a few minutes later that Tony entered the room. He sat down across from the suspect. Alders didn't even look up. Being so close, Tony could see the man's lips move. He tired to read them but they were moving to fast.

"If you want to talk you have to speak up," snapped Tony. Viv was surprised with the behavior she usually associated with Gibbs. It wasn't as stern and gruff but she could see it. "Well, what were you saying."

"My words were meant only for the Lord." Alders finally looked up.

"Then say something that isn't meant only for the Lord. Like why you killed all of these people." He opened the file Jethro had given him and pulled out the list of all victims' names and stats. He slide it under Alders nose.

"This isn't all of them." The confession surprised the four of them. None of them thought it was going to be that easy. But the fact that there were more frightened them. "These are only the salilors that converted. I remember many more."

"How many more?" demanded Tony.

"Three more graves sites. Each had twenty-three bodies. My last one was interupted. I'm that it was you." Tony didn't confirm or deny it even though it was him who put a stop to the murders. "Twenty-three is a very powerful number."

"Why did you do it?"

"I was saving them. My grandfather did so much for the Jews back in Holland. He risked everything so that they could worship their god. They should be thankful that they could and leave mine alone. The Jews have a god, they don't need ours as well. I need to complete my mission so that they can be worthy to go to heaven. The converters need me to save them."

"It's the same god." He did believe that the Jews and Christians believed in the same god. Jethro taught him that a long time ago. "It isn't up to you to decided if those people lived or died."

"You're right it wasn't up to me. The Lord told me to look for converters."

Jethro looked over at Jeremy to get his thoughts on Lt. Alders.

"If he thinks God is talking to him, he needs to get looked at. Mental illnesses aren't my strong point. If I have to hazard a guess, it not psychopathy. Psychopaths don't usually show empathy. This man thinks he's saving his victims."

Jethro glared at him before he started spouted off information that really wasn't relevant to the case. Besides, he knew what a psychopath was. He didn't need Jeremy reminding him in front of Blackadder. She already thought that he wasn't book smart enough to be an agent. "I don't care what it is. Will it cause be enough get JAG to ask for a insanity plea."

"I don't know for sure. It will only be decided once he's diagnosed. That won't be by me. He needs to see a specialist."

"I want this man in jail. He's killed nearly a hundred people. Tell JAG that I don't care how they do it." but they will do it."

Saturday March 17, 2002

No one was quite sure how the Hayes could afford their new home. Neither Alex nor Samantha came from wealthy families like Tony and Jeremy had. In fact, Alex was a elementary teacher for Special Education students and Sam was a nurse. However, despite that they were moving into a large house with seven bedrooms and three bathrooms, that included the master rooms. Tony wasn't sure what they were trying to prove with moving into such a large house.

Sam wanted to move into a bigger house before the baby was born. It didn't matter to her that the baby wasn't due until the end of June. She had to get everything done before then.

Which explained why she had everyone come over to help organized the new house, especially the nursery.

Tony didn't know how wise it was for Sam to let the kids pick out their own bedrooms. Peyton may have been very protective of his big sister but that didn't mean he wasn't equally competitive with her. He wanted the same room as Addison, not because he genuinely wanted the room but because Addison claimed it first. He had just turned seven the week before and thought that even though it wasn't his birthday he still had the right to use that to make demands. It was Alex that came to the rescue.

"If you two can't stop fighting then I'll make this the baby's room. So I make myself clear."

"Yes, Daddy." In the end, neither of them wanted the room. Addison found one that had walk in closet and Peyton's new room had a bench that could act like a toy box. Darby's room had a huge (for the species) Persimmon tree outside her window.

* * *

Tony and Alex were in charge of the baby's room. Since they wanted the gender to be a surprise, they kept the walls white. The other kids all had their own color of blankets from when they were newborns so Sam wanted this one to be the same. Addison had yellow, they were lucky to have picked green for Peyton, and Darby's color was orange. Not that many colors were considered to gender neutral so it was hard to pick a color for this one. It was Jethro that suggested that they used creams. He said that he was inspired when he saw Blackadder pouring a creamer in her coffee. He may like his coffee black but he had to admit that it was a nice color for a baby's blanket, not that he would.

It wasn't that often anymore that it was just the two of them. More often than not, Jeremy would be with them. Alex didn't mind but he did enjoy his time alone just the two of them. Though he would never say something like that out loud.

Sunday March 31, 2002

The team had the day off. After having back to back cases and solving two cold cases they were glad to have a break. Some days they even had to spend the night. During those cases Kristina would occasionally come to the office to bring the team something to eat. It was a shock for Blackadder the first time she did that since she still didn't know she existed.

It was Easter. That morning Tony and Jethro went to Arlington to place a stuffed animal on gravestone. Tony picked out a little bunny that bore a striking resemblance to the one that Shannon got her that first Easter they spent together.

When they got back they called Jeremy and Kristina. It wasn't a day that spent with the rest of the family. No one really knew why, it was just how things were. Tony thought it might have something to do with the fact that they didn't get to spend that last Easter with the girls.

Ducky had invited them over once again but they both refused. They didn't give any excuses other than they preferred to be alone at Easter. They didn't even care that it was odd that gave the same explanation.

Instead, they worked on the boat. It was finally beginning to show as though it had a frame. None of them were attached but it was a start. Like every other time they worked on the boat they didn't say much unless they felt they had to.

Friday June 28, 2002

Alex was anxious that his wife would go into labor at any moment. Samantha was already three days past her due date but she didn't seem as though she was going to be going to the hospital anytime soon.

Even Darby was getting impatient that she didn't have a new sister yet. They tried to explain that she might get another brother but she wouldn't hear anything of it. It was going to be a girl and that was that. Everyone thought that her stubbornness was cute, well everyone but Jeremy who knew that in a few years that would be more of a headache inducer in the form of a teenager.

Sunday July 7, 2002

Being over a week late was starting to get a little uncomfortable. Sam was at least a week early for the other three so she wasn't sure what was making this one want to wait. Finally, at 9:23 that morning, Sam's water broke as she was finishing her breakfast.

Monday July 8, 2002

It was shortly after midnight that Alex came out to tell them that they had another girl, Riley Taylor Hayes. She was born at 12:01. Tony laughed because the kid shared his birthday. Alex and Jethro groaned when they realized that fact. Jethro looked as though he was ready shoot Tony as he was still laughing when he told the group that he was going to call G and tell him that he was a godfather again.

A/N It was still Sunday when I posted this. I was really busy this past week.

I'm not really that much of a case writer, that much is kinda obvious. So I figured that I skip ahead to _Ice Queen_ and _Melt Down_... not really sure how I'm going to do those. I may have to change format a little but that isn't likely to happen. I still have to watch the episodes but I finally found them on the internet so it will be canon.

I am a Christian. While the beliefs in this chapter are displayed on the show they aren't necessarily mine... think the scene between Gibbs and the victim's father in _Faith. _I definitely don't want to kill anyone for converting. I just thought it would make an interesting story arch considering Tony's new history.

Plus, I didn't pick the number 23 randomly but it'll take too long to explain why I chose that number. I did look it up on Wikipedia... I know, that was a bit odd but I love research.

I also want to thank those that voted for my poll. I was a little surprised by the results. Nearly everyone voted for the same name. Though the review count has gone down for the last few chapters. To those few that did, thank you.

To those that care, though most of you probably don't, I had a wonderful twenty-third birthday. Lunch with daddy is always fun especially when trying some place new.


	22. April 2003

CBS and Paramount Pictures own NCIS.

You're to Blame

**You are to blame for anything that is good in my heart. You are to blame for this change that has taken me by storm. - Mercy Me**

SPOLIERS ALERT – _Ice Queen_,_ Melt Down. _I am using approximate dates for those episodes though April 25 is noticeable on Commander Rabb's interrogation file. I won't be putting in too many details because I had only seen the episodes twice. Also, I don't like to consider them to be true canon due to some of the 'facts' in these episodes contradict the series (i.e. Gibbs isn't a reserve and he hadn't been an agent for 19 years) If you haven't seen them go to casttv. com/ shows /jag. Just delete the spaces.

Chapter Twenty-two – April 2003

Tuesday April 1, 2003

There are only a few things that is more complicated than loss. With the death of a loved one, it can shatter your very soul. But under unusual circumstances it can also left the greatest burdens from your shoulders.

Death is only one type of loss. The loss of a partnership, a friendship, a love can be equally potent. Those kinds of losses can be just as hard to talk about. They can hurt just as much as a death.

However in rare cases a loss can bring about the best things in life... a new partnership that makes your a hundred times better at your job, a new friendship that's creates a bond that is unbreakable, or a new love that can save the world.

Those are the types of losses that are hardest find because the loss in the only thing on your mind. It can consume you so deeply that you lose focus on what really matters. Sometimes people just allows it to happen without realizing that they are hurting others so much that they end risking losing more. Sometimes people just don't care.

Monday April 7, 2003

Tony sat the evidence bin on Abby's worktable with a light thud. Her music was blaring loudly so he knew she didn't hear him enter. With a smirk on his face he, crept up from behind her to mess with her pigtails.

"DiNozzo, don't even think about it or I'll have Gibbs shoot you!"

Tony lowered his hands as well as his smirk. "You just had to ruin my fun. Besides, the boss wouldn't shoot me... there's a lot of paperwork when you discharge your weapon, especially when it's a subordinate."

She ignored his rambling. "What do you have for me?"

"That's for you to figure out. We have a burn victim that was pulled from of a car that turned into an inferno. Car came back stolen from a petty officer. She's alive so we have no idea who was in the car. All Ducky could make out that it was a young boy, no older than his late teens. The boss wants you to go over this stuff," he pointed at the bin, "and try to figure out who he was. The poor kid was a little crispy, if you know what I mean. Ducky is having a hard time finding useable tissue for a DNA sample. If he can't find anything then you know that it will be next to impossible to discover his identity."

Abby tilted her head to the side as though she just realized something. "You know, in the past two years I don't think you have ever called Gibbs anything other than 'boss' or 'sir'. Jeremy is the same way, he rarely calls Boss-man Gibbs."

"Really?" Tony felt very uncomfortable where this was leading. "I have to go. Boss wants me to talk to the petty officer to see if she can figure out who might have taken her car."

* * *

It took a lot of work but Ducky was finally able to find a piece of tissue that wasn't completely brunt. He could only hope that Abby could use it and find results. This time it seemed she would have to work her magic especially hard. Though he knew the young woman was up for the task.

"Don't worry, my dear boy. You will be given peace." He look at the brunt out skull where the eyes should have been. "I will take goo care of you.

He looked at the x-rays that he and Gerald took. What he saw made him feel disgusted. There was only one thing he could do for the poor boy... help him get his justice.

"Jethro I need you to come here immediately.... No I don't have an ID... Just get now here!" He snapped as he slammed the phone down. It was only five minutes later that Jethro came with the rest of his team.

"What's so urgent, Duck?" asked Jethro. He was a little annoyed with the way Ducky demanded that he came down with no explanation.

"That boy, that innocent boy―"

"That so called innocent boy stole a car," interrupted Vivian. Tony only shook his head at her behavior.

"And for that, I don't blame him. He should be applauded for trying to get away!"

"Away from what?"

"That, that, and that." Ducky pointed to a different x-ray each time he said 'that'. He was breathing erratically.

Jethro studied the images before him. He had seen enough x-rays (mostly thanks to Tony) that he could recognize broken bones, even when they long since healed. But the sheer number...

Unfortunately, it was all lost on Vivian.

"What are we looking at?"

"He was abused Viv," spoke up Tony softly, surprising everyone in the room.

Viv looked at Ducky for confirmation. "I afraid he's correct. The boy was abused and quite violently."

"This couldn't just be accidents. Maybe he was rambunctious or played sports."

"No, I played sports and never got that many injuries. You know how much trouble I attract and I never had that many injuries when I was his age."

"The vast number of injuries over a short period of time suggests they were no fault of his own. Someone had to inflict them."

Jethro had heard enough. It wasn't their jurisdiction to look into child abuse outside the Navy but it landed in their backyard since he was found in a petty officer's vehicle. They had to investigate this no matter what the consequences.

"Tony! Jeremy!"

"Canvass the three block radius of the Petty officer's house. On it, Boss." Tony was practically standing at attention when they were dismissed with a nod.

"Viv!" She gave him a lost look. Jethro sighed inwardly as he spoke slowly to her. "Go through missing persons reports. That might give us a lead." He gestured toward the body. She left as well. "Duck..."

"I'll whatever I can for him."

* * *

Abby was under the brunt out shell that was once a very nice car when Jethro arrived with coffee and a Caf-Pow. He waited until she was done before he let her know that he was there. As she sipped her drink him what she found. It wasn't much but she did say that it couldn't have been a bomb. In fact, all she found was that the gas tank was the source of the fire but she could figure out why it exploded.

She had theories. However those meant nothing unless she could find a way to prove them. With one last slurp she went back under the car. She could go back to her lab later.

* * *

Finding one kid shouldn't have so difficult. Sure, they had no name and not even a general description other than he was 5'7" and white. A lot teenagers that description so it didn't help. Tony and Jeremy gave up knowing that there was an easier way to get what they wanted. They went to the nearest high school and hoped that it was the right one.

Tony flirted with the secretary and got a list of names of students that were absent. The school wasn't large by any definition for a city the size of Washington so the number of absentees was fairly low, 128. They quickly deleted all of the girls and reduced the list to 76. A few of them had siblings that were also absent that day as were taken off the list as well. This left them with 48. It was still a lot of people but it was manageable.

That was three hours ago and they were no closer to finding the kid. Then Abby called bearing good news.

"I have a partial match to a Peter Williams. He was arrested by Tobias Fornell of the FBI for kidnap. Williams died after only three years in prison. Williams had three kids Ethan, Marcus, and Sara. They were all placed in foster care when their mom died from cancer back in '99. The three of them were separated. Ethan is sixteen and lives with Harry and Susan Smith. He fits our description perfectly. Looks like we found our victim."

"Victim? We know for sure that it was a murder?"

"Yeah. Whoever it was shot at the gas tank, causing the whole car to blow up. Viv and Gibbs went back to crime scene hoping to find the bullet."

While Tony and Abby were talking Jeremy went over the list. Ethan Williams was second to the bottom. They drove to the Smith's house in silence, knowing that were the people they were about to meet were possibly abusers. He was sure if he could keep Tony calm on this one... or rather what passed for calm when it came to Tony. A case like this was bound to bring up some unpleasant thoughts.

The Smith's home looked perfectly normal on the outside. Tony knew that didn't mean anything. He was positive that to an outsider his life in Long Island appeared to be normal. But the illusion was broken when they heard a scream of pure terror coming from the house. Tony pulled out his gun before kicking down the door. Jeremy followed at his heals despite the fact he only had the knife that Jethro had given to him when he joined NCIS. Rule nine was practically sacred.

The screaming stopped and became whimpers instead. A distinctive snapping filled the air. Tony ran faster to find the noise, not liking the implications. He finally found the room he was looking for. He tightened the grip on his gun before shouting.

"NCIS! Drop the belt!" Tony could see that the belt was covered in blood stains. He felt sick to his stomach at the sight. In the few moments that it took Harry Smith to do as he was told, Tony took in the scene in front of him. Harry was a large man with a lot of muscle. Across from him was Susan and a little boy no more than seven or eight. His shirt was raised exposed to Harry. It took all Tony had in him to not throw up at the sight of the deep slashes in his back. Susan's grip on the boy was strong and would give him bruises later. "Get away from him!"

Susan scampered away and stood next to her husband. Jeremy was cleared to look the boy over. Tony saw him call someone but didn't pay attention. After he hand cuffed the pair Tony made his own phone call. His dad would have been more than a little angry if he didn't call for backup when he brought in Mr. and Mrs. Smith.

Tony finally looked at Jeremy. He carefully removed the shirt. The child had lost a lot of blood. "What is his name?" demanded Jeremy.

Susan was about to answer but Harry interrupted her. "Who the hell do you think you are barging into my home. Take these damn cuffs off me and get out or I'll press charges!"

"J?" asked Tony falling into one of their old games.

"Yes, T?"

"We're special agents, right?"

"You are. I'm just and doctor that works with special agents."

"J, as a special agent, don't I have the right to detain someone for questioning."

"I'm pretty sure that you do. But I'm sure that you read them their rights." And so he did just as Jethro and Viv arrived.

Tuesday April 8, 2003

The couple admitted to beating both boys and Harry admitted that to shooting the petty officer's car. They were now in the FBI's custody... much to Jethro's displeasure. Rumors were going around that there was some kind of fight between Jethro and Fornell.

But that none of that mattered to Tony and he sat next to boys bed, he had only left to get his paperwork done. The doctors weren't sure whether or not the boy would survive. It would be pure luck if he even woke up one more time before he died. That all they could do was pray and hope.

The social worker that was sent told him that the kid's name was Antoine DeGarmo. He had been in the system for only a few months. He was ten not eight like he originally thou. He lost a lot of weight since he moved in with the Smiths and didn't go through any growth spurts because of lack of food, making his unusually short for his age. It seemed as though the two boys, both Antoine and Ethan had fallen between the cracks. The assigned social worker was behind in his work and just never visited the two boys. He had been fired and his other cases had been distributed to the other over worked social workers.

It was a surprise that it was Alex who showed at the hospital that night. Tony had been expecting Jeremy or his dad to pull him away from Antoine. A little pep talk from Jeremy or a half hug from his dad wasn't out of character for either of them.

"He's going to be OK."

"You don't know that. The way those monsters hurt him... he lost a lot of blood." Tony never once took his eyes off the boy. "If it weren't for my dad... it could have been me in a similar bed to this."

"No it couldn't have been. You never would have been in foster care. I know that you know this, but you are very lucky. I'm going to make sure Antoine is lucky as well."

"What do you mean?"

"Sam and were talking last night, after Jeremy told us about this case, that if Antoine survives we would like to take him in. You know that we became foster parents when Jeremy entered NCIS. There are far too many girls in that house... in the whole family come to think of it. It would be nice to have someone besides Peyton around that doesn't have the complications that estrogen often brings."

The look in Tony's eyes was thanks enough.

* * *

Abby was sitting outside Tony's apartment when he got home that night, leaving Antoine in Alex's care. He couldn't figure out why she was there or why she flung herself into his arms for a desperate hug. It wasn't the first time he was on the receiving end of one her hugs so he was partly prepared for the near crushing effects they often had. He ushered her inside before anyone noticed the two of them.

"What are you doing here?" Abby hardly ever came to his apartment unless she was invited by Kristy.

There were tears in Abby's eyes. This confused Tony to no end. "Is it always like that, Foster care I mean? I know that you were probably in the system and your file is buried deeper than my uncle's rottweiler cemetery. But please tell that not all foster parents are like that... that your foster parents weren't like that. It's just that you never talk about your family... neither of them. Not that expect you to talk about the man that...."

"Abs, I wasn't in the system," Tony interrupted. "I can tell you that not all foster parents are like that. Most of them are very nice but there are a lot of people out there that do take advantage of those kids for the benefits or just so that they have a punching bag... Ethan and Antoine are the exception, not the norm. I was personally brought in by one of the best people you could ask for." He was glad he could tell her the truth for once.

Abby had this thoughtful look on her face. Then her eyes went wide. It was then that he realized that she figured out his secret. "Gibbs. It was Gibbs. That's why he knows. If I ended up with no one I would have wanted to end up with someone like the bossman." She punched his shoulder. "Why didn't you tell me? You know you can trust me with anything."

"It was one of the conditions that Morrow put in place when Dad asked if could be on his team. It was a safety measure."

"Aw, you called Gibbs 'dad'. That is so sweet! That would totally thrown Ducky for a loop!"

"Abby, you can't tell anyone. Only Jeremy knows and that's because he knew about everything from the beginning. Not even Viv or Ducky knows about this and I plan to keep it that way for as long as possible. We could all lose our jobs if this gets out."

Abby nodded then launched into a barrage of questions... most of which he still didn't answer. His legal status as Jethro's son was one of them.

Friday April 18, 2003

It wasn't every day that got a case where a kid, a scout no less, shoots a dead pregnant JAG officer. It had to be one of the more unique cases that they had in a while. Add the fact that her face was eaten by crows while the rest of her body was left alone only made it more unique.

It was obvious from where Tony was standing that Jethro was trying to comfort the poor kid that shot her. He couldn't help but feel a little jealous. There really wasn't a reason to feel that way. He just thought that it would have been nice to have that kind of connection with someone when he was that young.

Viv was giving off vibes of anger, but that was normal. He was going measurements down by the river when he was joined by her. He didn't mean to make her even more upset when he called her Pocahontas. But he had no idea that her dead brother used her that. Nor did he know that he had been killed on the Cole.

When they got back to headquarters they had no idea that they would be called in to witness Ben Atwa's capture, who just so happened to be involved in the bombing of the Cole. Vivian did know a lot about the terrorists involved.

Saturday April 19, 2003

Being sent out to do look for Lt. Singer's blood wasn't Tony's idea a fun way to speed the weekend but finding what he was looking for made it all worth it. He called Jeremy who was searching for the blood on a different bridge that he possibly found it.

Sunday April 20, 2003

Interrogation was Jethro's favorite part of the job. It was where he could usually find the truth, where he could look into a man's eyes and know without a doubt whether he got the right person. It was comfortable and was his own turf.

Though some of the people he interrogated just weren't cooperative. Commander Rabb was one of those who didn't want to cooperate. From the beginning he did everything he could to stonewall him from finding Lt. Singer killer. All of his actions implicated that he was her murderer or that he at least knew who it was.

Thursday April 24, 2003

When Dobbs came back with Rabb's cover Jethro didn't know what to think. Here was evidence that proved that Rabb was in the general area of Singer's murder. But his gut was churning that something wasn't right.

Friday April 25 2003

Jethro didn't really have a plan when he went into that interrogation room. He believed Rabb was innocent but he was having a hard time proving it. He let the officer know that he believed him... in his own way.

He didn't have a lot time to do it since he was expected to be on a plane to see Ben Atwa soon after testifying against the man he didn't believe to be guilty.

* * *

It was a relief when he heard that Abby and Tony were able to prove that it was Commander Lindsey was responsible for Singer's death. If the cover hadn't been proven to have been stolen and covered in mud long after her death they would have been sending an innocent man to prison.

Saturday April 26, 2003

What Blackadder did was unforgivable. Instead of wrapping up things in Rota, she was on her way back to Washington and the Hoover building. She was using NCIS to get revenge and it nearly got everyone on the team killed. It was her responsibility to keep the terrorists in her line of sight but she allowed her personal vendetta to get in the way. It was her fault that he nearly lost Tony. For once he didn't take any of the blame on his shoulders. He told her that NCIS wasn't how she was going get revenge for her brother. Yes, it was cold but in their line of work they had to stay focused.

She was a good agent when she was able to stay focused. But when a terrorist was involved all of that went out the window and it blinded her to what was important in the moment. The life of those around her counted on it and she screwed up.

Maybe now Director Morrow would see that it was a good idea to just let him choose his own team. He knew what he was looking for. There was no way that he would be able to tolerate some one like Vivian Blackadder back on his team. It was too dangerous and he wasn't willing to put his boys in that situation again.

A/N I know you guys were expecting more from the JAG episodes but I couldn't find the script which would have made things a lot easier for me. I was hoping that I could do more for these episodes. Again, to see the episodes go to casttv. The quality isn't that bad if you have a fast enough computer.

There will only be maybe one or two more chapters before I begin the actual series. I do have the scripts for most episodes so I should have more detail than what I did for _Ice Queen _and_ Melt Down._

He's a clue as to what happens next.... it all depends on what happens in next week episode.

I know that I told a lot of people that Abby wasn't going to learn the truth for a long time but she doesn't know the whole truth. I couldn't keep her in the dark about Tony and Jethro's relationship. She's too smart to not to have noticed something hinky.


	23. May 2003

CBS and Paramount Pictures own NCIS.

You're to Blame

**You are to blame for anything that is good in my heart. You are to blame for this change that has taken me by storm. - Mercy Me**

**This chapter is dedicated to my grandmother who passed away on Thursday morning (1/14/10) . RiP grandma. **

Chapter Twenty-three May 2003

Monday May 5, 2003

Jethro watched Tony with concern in his eyes. Ever since he got a phone call that morning he had been behaving oddly. He didn't question him about it knowing that Tony would come to him when he was ready. But it was nearing the end of the work day and he still hadn't said anything. It almost scared him that the younger man was being so quiet.

When they were told that they could for the day Jethro mad a point of entering the elevator the same time as Tony. He glared at Jeremy, warning him that he needed one on one time with the younger man. Jeremy said something about taking the stairs was healthier anyways and left the two of them alone. No sooner had the elevator began its decent that the emergency switch was pulled. Tony knew it was going to happen and was leaning against the back wall.

"You want to tell me what's going on with you?"

"Nothing Gibbs." Jethro felt as though he had been slapped. Tony had never called him that before, not even when they first met. He forced Tony to look at him in the eyes.

"Try that again, son. What's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong. I am fine."

"Stop lying to me, Tony!" His expression softened slightly. We are going home and when we get there you are going to tell me about that phone call you got this morning that left you so rattled. You hear me?"

"Yes, sir." Tony calling him sir was one nervous habit that Jethro never been able to break. It also made Jethro worried because it really was a habit that he only fell into when he was nervous. He had no idea what his boy could have so shaken about.

The ride home was silent. It just want normal. Tony usually had the radio blaring and was chattering so much that it sometimes drove him nuts. He wasn't even playing the jazz station that Jethro had became familiar with during the past fifteen years. It unnerved him that he wasn't falling into any of his default settings... that meant that he had to get out of his comfort zone as well. He got nothing from Tony. In fact, it seemed as though he was pouting. It wasn't a good look on him.

After sending Tony to his room to change, Jethro sat Tony on the couch that had seen better days and waited for him to say something. He fortunately didn't have that long to wait.

"I got a call from Gwen Franklin." Whatever Jethro had been expecting, it wasn't that. Gwen's name had become as much of a taboo as Kathryn's. It really wasn't a wonder why he didn't want to talk.

"Is she OK?" There was no need to ask who 'she' was.

"Don't know. We didn't talk about her. I didn't want to talk about her and Gwen didn't offer. It was a courtesy call." He took a deep breath. "My father is being released soon. Gwen thought that I would want to know."

"He can't hurt you anymore. I won't allow it." Tony looked in his eyes and knew that he was telling him the truth.

"I know that. I just can't help but think that he is going to try to find me. Even after being in prison for so long... he had a lot of connections and I'm sure that he'll put them to good use."

Wednesday May 7, 2003

Tony hated the looks that he was getting. Even Delores the crone of HR had stopped glaring at him. He knew that it was twisted but he didn't like that everyone was being so nice. It wasn't that he want them to be mean to him, that would have been insane. He wanted to be treated how he was normally treated. Since that wasn't going to happen any time soon Tony kept his focus on his computer. Ignoring everything around him was the only thing he could do until it all died down.

Some of the younger agents were curious. They didn't understand why the release of an inmate that wasn't even under their jurisdiction was causing such a fuss. To them it wasn't a big deal. But because the more seasoned agents were making a big deal of his release they thought that they would look up why this particular case was so important. If it weren't for the director's threat to suspend anyone looking into the DiNozzo case file and Jethro Gibbs' most feared glares, he would have been asked far more questions than he was willing answer... not that he would actually answer any of them.

By midday though, he was getting frustrated with all of the stares he was receiving. After grabbing a coffee he went down to Abby's lab with a stack of cold cases. Just because he wasn't at his desk doesn't mean he couldn't pretend to be working. Abby wouldn't stare at him and would leave him alone if he asked her to. Though, he wouldn't ask that of her. She was a good distraction when he needed one.

"You look like crap, Tony. Have you been sleeping alright? I know, stupid question. It's obvious that you haven't been just by looking at you. Not that you aren't usually good looking because you do. But right not you look the opposite of good looking. But you could really use some sleep if those bags under your eyes mean anything." She took the files from him and pushed him to her futon. "You are taking a nap, mister. I won't take 'no' for an answer."

Tony couldn't believe that he was being mothered by a goth. Sure, Abby was the happiest goth that you'll ever meet but she never treated him this way before. She had never demanded that he take a nap. He tried to get the files back from her. His slow reflexes were proof enough that he was exhausted.

"I'm fine, Abs. I just needed to get away from all the stares and glares so that I could get some work done."

"Why would Gibbs be glaring at you?" She had this cute confused look on her face that wasn't usually seen.

"Dad wasn't glaring at me, he was trying to scare everyone else off so that they would leave me alone. And don't go 'aw'. You should be used to me calling the boss 'dad' by now."

"Fine." Then she came up with the perfect thought. "But only if you take a nap."

Tony reluctantly laid down on the futon. "You know blackmail is illegal, right?"

"It's not blackmail. This is me taking care of you using whatever resources I have."

* * *

Jethro stormed into the lab not noticing or caring that it was quiet. He hadn't seen Tony since he went off on his own to get coffee. That was hours ago and he couldn't let Tony hide forever. Fortunately, he saw Abby wave him down before he made too much noise. The girl motioned that Tony was sleeping.

He wasn't sure whether or not if he should have been amused that Tony was cuddled up with a teddy bear that had fangs. His tall frame was curled slightly so that his feet weren't hanging over the edge. If it weren't for the obvious stress that plagued Tony's face, he would have looked like a little boy. Instead Tony looked more like the scared sixteen-year-old that Jethro meet all those years ago.

The other agents believed Tony wasn't afraid of anything. While that was mostly true, there was one thing that he was truly afraid of... loosing what was left of his family. He was terrified that one day it would all be taken away from him. Having a high risk job certainly didn't help lessen that fear. But he knew that Jethro wouldn't left that happen if he could control it. He had the same fears.

"You know, it's very creepy that you both are watching me sleep," said Tony without opening his eyes. Abby jumped causing both men to chuckle. She punched them both on the shoulder.

"How long have you been awake?"

"Not long, Abs." She sent him a glare but there was no malice in it. "Ever since Dad walked in."

That caught the older man's attention. "She _knows_!" hissed Jethro.

"Not everything." Tony tried to placate him. "What she does know she figured out on her own."

"What about―" Jethro's eyes shot down to Tony's neck where the strawberry locket hung, hidden under his shirt, even after so many years had passed. Abby didn't understand the meaning of the exchange and figured that it was pointless to even try.

"No."

Though after a few minutes of being ignored, Abby growled quite impressively. "Will you stop talking about me as though I'm not here!"

"Yes, Abby." They said it at the same time. Abby went into another fit of 'Aw', making tony cringe.

Friday May 15, 2003

When the actual date of Anthony DiNozzo Sr.'s release finally came Director Morrow was glad that Tony decided to take the day off. He knew that he would have been distracted if he came in... actually, the entire building would have been distracted. That wouldn't lead to a very productive day.

But now he had to deal with an over-caffeinated Leroy Jethro Gibbs, overprotective dad extraordinaire. Morrow considered putting Gibbs under house arrest of sorts but he knew he couldn't legally justify it. He didn't want his best team to quit just because he got their esteemed leader angry. None of them really needed to work so it was a possibility.

Even mild mannered Ducky wasn't willing to be in Jethro's presence for to long when he was in his current state. Rumors were flying, claiming Ducky had threatened the agent because he was being annoying while he was performing an autopsy for another team. Whether or not that was true was up for debate... though most seemed to believe it. It was a known fact that Ducky did have quite the temper when it mattered.

It was Jeremy, the lone 'agent', that took the majority of Jethro's wrath. He was used to it for the most part. The fact that he knew why he was in such a foul mood helped not to take it personally... and that he could send him home, pending an evaluation, for being mentally unstable. Not long after that the two disappeared. Jethro had taken his gun and since they weren't on active duty, there was only two options as the why. Either he was going to shot the young doctor or he took him the the shooting range. For once, no one took bets. According to Pacci,who considered himself to be a good friend of the team leader, the odds were so close that either outcome was possible.

No one had seen them until the end of the day. Jeremy seemed to be unharmed and Leroy Jethro Gibbs was once again in a good mood, or what passed as a good mood.

* * *

The day went by as it it normally did for Tony. He went for his morning ten mile run, he made breakfast, and he got ready for the day. Then he realized that he had no reason to get ready for the day. Not wanting to go back to sleep, even though he didn't get that much, Tony went to his living room to put on some music and grabbed a book. None of it was making sense until he noticed that it was in Hebrew and he was reading it backwards. Tossing it aside he went to grab his keys. It was impossible for him to concentrate so he had to the one place that he could... home. He didn't care that the house was empty. There was always the boat to keep him company. It was easy to focus on that.

The moment Tony walked into the house he relaxed. He felt like he was being followed but he was safe here, in spite of the fact there was no lock on the door. Nothing could hurt him when he was at home.

The place had changed a lot over the years. Kelly's bedroom was now a guest room that was mostly used by Kristina or Alex when Samantha was in one of her moods while she was pregnant. Most of Shannon's touches were gone and Kelly's toys were hidden up in the attic. Yet there was one room that was left untouched. Tony's bedroom looked almost exactly like it did fifteen years ago... it just had a more mature atmosphere to it.

One thing that was obviously different was the computer. Gone was the bulky dinosaur of the 1980's. It was replaced by the best that money could buy. And while Tony claimed that it was his, everyone knew the he bought for his dad. But now that he was here there was no reason for him not to check his email... among other things.

As it turned out, the elder Gibbs wasn't that adventurous when it came to what web sites he went to. Most of them were for boat designs. Though that it was funny that a few of them that were small enough to fit in the basement were tagged. He hadn't seen the blueprints for the new boat yet even though they had been working on it for a few years. But that really wasn't that unusual when his dad was involved.

Tony had no memory of the last time he went on the internet for fun... except for when he played games on his cell but that really didn't count. It was (sometimes) work related. He was absorbed in what he was doing and didn't hear when someone entered the house. By the time he heard someone step on the loose floorboard, it was too late and a needle pierced his skin.

* * *

When Jethro got home he couldn't sense Tony anywhere. It was odd. He was certain that he would have been there. Tony was predictable in that way. The younger man always came home when he was stressed. Right now he was probably feeling more stress than ever... including the times he was accused of murder.

His gut was telling him that something was wrong. He called Tony's cell and got nothing. It didn't make any sense. Tony never allowed his cell's battery die. Rule three, never be unreachable, was the one rule that he considered nearly as important as rule nine, never go anywhere without a knife. Both were life saving advice that actually had saved Tony's life on more than one occasion.

Jethro made it a rule for the entire team and family to always keep both close by. Only the children and Alex (it would be a very bad idea to bring a knife to a school) didn't follow rule nine since the consequences were something that he didn't want to think about. Though they all knew that the moment they graduated high school, or in Kristina's case turned eighteen, they all would get their own knives.

He shook his head from those thoughts. It was imperative that he kept his focus. Pulling out his gun, he started to make sure that his home was clear of any unwanted visitors. Finding nothing in the rest of the he went to Tony's room. The computer was on, something that he never had on unless he was using it. Moving the mouse, the screen came alive. His eyes widen when he saw the note that was left there.

_HE'S NOT YOURS!!!_

He called Jeremy to tell him to get to his house and bring an evidence kit with him. Tony was gone and there wasn't a moment he could spare to try to find him. He called Abby next telling her to get back to the lab. He was glad that she was in the know of the family secret because she was needed in case his gut was right.

Saturday May 16, 2003

It wasn't the first time that Tony woke up not knowing where he was and he was certain that it wouldn't be the last. It also wasn't the first time he woke up tied to a chair. However, it was the first time that he was taken from some place that he thought was safe and that unnerved him more than he liked. At least when he was kidnapped from bars and other places like that he didn't lose his sense of security. Plus, he could always avoid those places.

The room he was in was dark. When his eyes adjusted he saw that there was a single bare light bulb directly over his head. To his left was a window. It was cracked open slightly, letting the cool May air in. It wasn't cold but he was glad that he was wearing long sleeves. The fact that it was the middle of the night explained why it was as cold as it was. The open window also served as a way to escape. It wasn't too wide but he did hope that his shoulders were lean enough for him to fit through. While he wasn't as buff as many of the Marines that he had met over the years, he was an 'intelligence expert' after all, he did have plenty of muscle that could be a hindrance. He did have to keep a certain physical standard to be a Marine and he kept it even after all these years that he had been out of the service.

His Marine training fought with his FLETC training. The Marines taught him to escape as soon as he could. It didn't matter who caught him as long as he got out alive. FLETC told him differently. It would be much easier to catch his abductor(s) if he knew who they were. He had a feeling that he already knew but he needed proof. That didn't mean that he couldn't try to loosen the ropes that tied him to the chair. Unfortunately while his torso and feet were tied with rope his his hands were bound with his own handcuffs.

Sleeping wasn't an option. He had no idea when his abductor would come to see him. Tony wanted to be awake for that because kidnappers tend to hit you when they find you asleep. He wasn't sure how long he stayed awake like that. He went over random facts that he learned over the years.

He was halfway through translating _From Russia with Love _(the book not the movie) into German when someone opened the door that was directly in front of him. It was still dark outside but he could see the beginnings of sun rise through the window.

"Sede benvenuta, il mio figlio," said a voice that Tony hadn't heard in a very long time. It was still too soon for him to want to hear it... never was too soon.

"Well, I don't feel very welcome. You know, with being tied up and all that. This isn't my home. I was taken very unwillingly from my home. And I'm most unquestionably not your son. In fact, my dad will be most worried that I'm not where I'm supposed to be. Now, why don't you just let me go and I'll conveniently forget that this even happened, Anthony. Capice?"

The older man slapped Tony across the face. Tony was shocked. His father was rarely physical with him when he was growing up. Touching just wasn't something that he did, even when it was meant as a punishment. The only time that stood out was that one Halloween. Apparently, prison really does change a man.

"You will respect me, Junior."

Tony chuckled dryly. "I learned a few things about respect over the past few years. One of those things was that respect had to be earned. What have you ever done that would be worthy of respect? Leave me in a hotel when I was barely twelve so that you could liaise with another potential stepmother? Tell me that I would end up in a gutter? Tell me, what have you done?" Tony glared at the man, daring him to say that he deserved his respect.

"I am your father. I gave you everything that you could have ever wanted. You gave that all up. You betrayed me!"

"No. You betrayed me when you weren't there for me. You were my father but now you are nothing to me. I have a new family, one that has repeatedly earned my respect."

* * *

Director Morrow was slightly surprised by the activity that was going on in the bullpen at 0700 that morning. It wasn't that uncommon for a team to stay over night while working on a case. However, the team that was most active was Gibbs... actually it was only Jethro, Abby (who was at Tony's desk), and Jeremy that were there. Tony was nowhere to be found. When he approached the trio he found out why.

"Abs, keep trying to get a location on his phone. He had a special GPS chip in his cell that's active even when it's turned off."

"I can't find it, Gibbs. It has to be broken. Or at the bottom of the Potomac. Or in the ocean. Or..."

"We get it Abby!" snapped Jeremy. The tone surprised everyone. Jeremy never loses his temper like that. It was one reason why he was such a good psychologist. He was one of the most empathetic people that worked at NCIS. "I'm sorry Abby." He ignored the snort coming from Jethro for breaking rule six. "We will find him."

"It isn't a coincidence that the day that Tony disappeared is the same day that senior gets out of prison. I think the bastard took him. He might have some connections left that are in the area." A plan began to from in his mind that would help him find Tony. "Abby, I want you to find any associates that live in the DC, Virginia/Maryland area. I know that this isn't your area of expertise but you're the one with the most experience with computers."

They had been looking for Tony for nearly 10 hours now and they were no closer to finding him. He had dusted the keyboard to his home computer but all of the partial prints were useless. They were all overlapped and smudged. He was glad that he had forbidden food in Tony's bedroom or they would have been having even more problems.

* * *

Tony was getting hungry. In fact he hadn't felt this hungry since he was doing training in the Marines. What was worse though was that he was thirsty as well. The last thing he had to drink was a glass of water the morning before. Before that was a large cup of coffee.

The old man hadn't left him alone for a second. It was really starting to irritate him because he wasn't saying anything... eating a nice large sirloin steak and a baked potato with all the dressings. Tony's mouth was noticeably salivating.

When he did finally leave Tony managed to get the rope around his torso loose enough. After some pretty impressive acrobatics, Tony was free and his hands were in front of him. He was still cuffed but he could work on that as soon as he was out .

It was his unfortunate luck that his captor had returned just as he was about to open the window. Tony buckled forward when he was hit from behind with the chair that he had been sitting in only moments before. His head smashed into the wall and he was once again unconscious.

Sunday May 17, 2003

It was dark again when Tony woke. His head was killing him and he was feeling more than a little nauseous. The little light that was shinning into the room only made the pain worse. He tried to focus so that he could try to escape again but he was having a little trouble. All these symptoms only meant one thing. He had another concussion. He hated not knowing how long he had been unconscious but since it was only lunch time when he was knocked out, it had to of been more than a few hours.

His father was gone... well at least he was no longer in the room with him. He couldn't trust that he would hear if anyone approached. So he had no idea if he was truly alone or not. That scared him a lot more than he was ready to admit. Being alone with a concussion probably wasn't very smart.

He was very weak at the moment. He wouldn't be able to take on his father in a fight if he had to. A five-year-old would beat him if challenged to an arm wrestling match. Nothing less than a hospital could help him now.

Wednesday May 21, 2003

Tony's mind was a fuzzball. He couldn't think. He couldn't talk. Heck, he couldn't even open his mouth without feeling pain. He tried to keep himself from sleeping as much as possible. The last thing Tony wanted was to fall into a coma or worse die. It wasn't acceptable for him to die just because he hit his head. His dad survived and concussion far worse than the one he was suffering from.

It didn't occur to Tony that Jethro had people taking care of him and that he had saline going through his veins.

* * *

The house that Jethro and Jeremy were approaching was their hope in finding Tony. They had caught Anthony DiNozzo the day before but other than saying that he had seen Tony, he wouldn't talk. And after threatening Jethro with Tony's knife, he was killed. Jeremy was calling it a clean kill but when everything was done and over, Jethro was unofficially required to see him twice a week to talk... bourbon wasn't an option.

Abby had found an old associate of DiNozzo senior. After having a gun shoved in his face he told him that he was allowing his 'friend' to stay at his house near the Potomac. It was possible that Tony was trapped there by himself.

They searched each room carefully. Jethro found Tony tied to a chair. The young man was covered in his own vomit and barely conscious. The only time he had seen him that pale was when he had chickenpox. He was already calling for an ambulance when Jeremy found them.

Friday May 23, 2003

Tony was finally coherent enough to give a statement to what happened. That day Jethro went out to but a lock for his door. He felt guilty that it could have been prevented if he had one. Tony would have noticed an intruder much more quickly if he had to force the door open.

A/N I can't believe that I have over 100,000 words. None of my other fics are nowhere near as long as that.

Kate will be in the next chapter!!!


	24. September 2003

CBS and Paramount Pictures own NCIS.

You're to Blame

**You are to blame for anything that is good in my heart. You are to blame for this change that has taken me by storm. - Mercy Me**

SPOILERS: some dialogue is from Yankee White (01x01).

Chapter Twenty-four – September 2003

Tuesday September 2, 2003

Life slowly went back to normal. Tony was still having nightmares but they were getting better. He wasn't back to work full time. He was having too hard of a time trying to gain all the weight he lost during that week that he was missing and the following hospital stay where he on a purely liquid diet. The doctors prescribed him vitamins and Ducky recommended that he eat a lot of food that was high in fat. In spite of his dislike of the former, it was the latter that was giving him problems. He was burning the calories faster than he was taking them in. Tony just didn't eat when he was sick.

It was Kristy that helped him gain the most weight. Nearly every day she would ask for a cooking lesson. Sometimes Alice or Bree would join them but it was usually time for just the two of them to hang out together. It was Kristy's way of getting him to eat when he didn't want to. The rule was that it she made it then he had to eat it... unless it was completely inedible. She had the whole summer to perfect her cooking skills so he had to eat a lot of her food. He was now only ten pounds under weight. It was enough to keep him out of the field but he was back in the office part time.

He also spent many nights talking to Jeremy about what happened so that he would pass his psych evaluation. Tony didn't exactly remember what happened other than what he was told. All he really knew was that he was close to dieing and it was his father's doing. The man was a bastard. Everyone who spent anytime with him outside a boardroom or a party knew this. But know one would have figured that he was a killer. When he found out it was all because of money... well it made sense that Senior would want to get rid of what he thought had ruined his life. It took most of the summer to get over that as well.

But summer was almost over and Jethro was going to a bar with his boys for his birthday... not that they acknowledged that Jethro was another year older. Tony still didn't know why the older man disliked his birthday so much. He came to terms that he wasn't going to find why a long time ago.

* * *

As the youngest, Tony was forced to go up to the bar each and every time they ran out of beer or when his dad wanted another bourbon. He wasn't drinking much so it wasn't as though he was falling over his own two feet each time he was sent. Which worked to his advantage since he wanted to impress the pretty, young, redhead that sitting all by herself.

Her name was Anna. She probably had a little bit too much to drink or she wouldn't have told him that she was celebrating the one year anniversary to end of a bad marriage. It wasn't abusive, just loveless. It was rushed; they had barely graduated college. None of her friends wanted to go out with her so Anna came alone.

Tony took his time to observe her. The way she held herself spoke of higher education, possible a State school but most likely ivy league. Her accent screamed Midwestern. He had spent more than enough time in Ohio to recognized it. Though he couldn't pinpoint exactly which state she was from. A person that was from Wisconsin spoke slightly different from someone from Michigan. He had met people from both states while playing football for Ohio State but it had been too long since he had to make a distinction that he couldn't figure it out.

Fifteen minutes passed before Tony realized that his had already been given the drinks he had ordered. He quickly told Anna that he had to go. There were people waiting for him. She gave him a smile and slipped a business card into his pocket before he walked away.

"Took you long enough," snipped Jethro almost playfully.

Jeremy was trying not to laugh. "You're turning into Dad more and more each day." No one noticed the slip.

"You say that like that's a bad thing." Tony smiled behind his mug.

"Normally it isn't. But when you start picking up his dating habits..."

"OK, now I know that you had too much to drink. I don't have an Oedipus complex."

"Never said you did."

Tony didn't have an answer for that. "Finish your drinks so we can go!"

Jeremy finally let out the laugh he had been holding back.

Thursday September 11, 2003

When Angel told him that she was getting married, Jeremy was happy for her. Lucas was a good man. He would know since he did the background check on the man himself. They were perfect for each other.

What didn't make him happy was the looks of pity he was getting, including from his own daughter. No matter how many times he insisted that he was fine they wouldn't believe him. He didn't love Angel... not like how they thought he did. She was a friend the same way Abby and Coral were friends. He loved them as though they were his sisters. Nothing more.

Unlike Tony, Jeremy didn't have the option of hiding in Abby's lab. She was the worst with the looks of sympathy, constantly asking him if he was OK. He would have been just fine if they stopped giving him those looks. He wouldn't have minded the sympathy if he truly was in love with Angel but since he wasn't he felt as though he was being smothered.

Going to Ducky was his only option. He may have been oblivious to many things but when it came down to it, he was the perfect person to go to when you just needed someone to talk to. However, sitting in a room that usually held at least one dead body wasn't appealing. It was the reason he became a psychologist instead of a medical doctor. Of course that point became moot the moment he joined FLETC. But still....

Ducky had a tray of old fashioned tea ready when he arrived. There was no hint of a cadaver anywhere but you could never tell whether or not he had a guest unless it was right there on one of the tables. He knew for a fact that Balboa's team had a case. But if he couldn't see it then it really wasn't there. Denial was a beautiful thing. That was why he gratefully took the tea.

They talked, well mostly Ducky while Jeremy listened, about everything he could think of, except about the team. It was a welcome change since he couldn't remember the last time that happened. Everyone was focused on getting Tony back to peck fitness that nothing else mattered. Not even his own mental health. He was so completely relaxed that he didn't even notice the the conversation changed from a Mongolian restaurant to him.

"My boy, when was the last time that you took a vacation without Anthony or Kristina tagging along behind you?"

The question threw Jeremy out of his comfort zone. It was a little more personal that he was used to answering. Yet, he was certain that it wasn't confidential. "Never. Not since he became partners. Even before that he would always come home for his vacations." Not a lie. Tony always came back to Washington during his down time between missions. But Ducky wasn't allowed to know that.

"I suggest that you take a long weekend. You are straining yourself with too much stress by trying to take care of everyone. Getting away could do you some good."

"Since when do you shrink the shrink?"

Ducky laughed. "Since the shrink can't take care of himself."

"I guess you're right. If I agree to taking a full week can I put it off until Tony is back full time? I don't want to put anyone in an uncomfortable position."

"Very well." He wasn't happy with the decision but it was better than nothing. "I don't suppose it will do any harm. Plus, Jethro would go nuts with both of you out of the office."

Jeremy stared at the other man. He had never heard him speak like that before.

Saturday September 13, 2003

Finding dates had never been a problem for Tony. But since he spent 85% of his life undercover it was impossible to date seriously... unless he wanted to go out with Coral. The mere thought made Tony shudder. They had known each other for far too long for _that_ to happen.

OSP ruined any kind of a social life that would have been normal for a single man his age. Those habits that had him stay away from people were still with him even after two years of being on the MCRT. He talked about dating various women in front of others but that was all it was, talk. It would have been strange if he didn't have stories about past girlfriends. Only the people who mattered knew that they were complete fabrications. Tony wasn't about to talk about _her._

Now he was dating Anna. She was pretty, intelligent, and a downright bore. All she talked about was her ex-husband. When she did talk about something different they were questions that he couldn't answer, either because they were confidential or very uncomfortable to let someone else know about. It was no wonder why her friends didn't join her at the bar. If she did the same with him... well he understood why they would want to avoid her.

There was a downside to dating, other than the fact Anna was practically stalking him, he couldn't get rid of her. Not even telling her that he didn't want to see her anymore because she was a deranged lunatic could persuade her to leave Tony alone. In fact, the number of calls increased after that little incident. But he wasn't about to admit that he was being stalked. Nope. Not going to happen.

Tony sighed as he looked at the clock. It was time to pick up the loony for their date. Canceling wasn't an option. He already tried that last time.

Monday September 15, 2003

Jeremy glared at Tony. It wasn't that often he did that but the constantly ringing cell phone was driving him insane. He was tempted to smack the back of his head himself. However, that would have been a bad idea because Tony would probably react badly, meaning Jeremy would likely end up on the floor with Ducky looking him over for broken bones. He really hated that Tony was the better fighter.

"Will you please answer that thing?" Obviously he wasn't above whining to get what he wanted. He looked back at his decision to what until Tony was back full time to take his vacation and regretted it.

"Nope. It's Anna."

"She's your girlfriend. Unless.... Tony, you can't just ignore here and hope that she goes away!" That wasn't how Tony usually treated women but he never really had to break up with someone either.

"Don't you think I know that!" he snapped. "I told her that I don't want to see her again."

"How many times?"

He hated that Jeremy knew him so well. "A few," Tony muttered.

"Oh Tony, not again!"

"'Not again' what?" asked Jethro as he came back carrying lunch and coffee. He sat a large burger and a salad in front of Tony before tossing Jeremy a burrito. Jethro saw Jeremy pout at what he was given compared to what Tony got but ignored him in favor of his younger son and agent. "Eat. All of it." Tony glared at the salad. Not even Shannon was _that_ cruel. "What were you guys talking about?"

"Nothing," said Tony a little too quickly as he stabbed a tomato. Jethro glared at him.

"Your boy another stalker," snitched Jeremy.

"You make it sound like I'm a magnet for stalkers."

Jeremy rolled his eyes. "You are."

"Am not!"

"San Francisco!"

"Felicia was taken out before she could cause me any real harm."

"_Felicia _was a black widow and very nearly killed you when she tried to seduce you."

"I wasn't that bad," Tony told his dad.

"Philadelphia."

"Erica was just very lonely."

"She convinced herself that you were in love with her and purposely got into a car accident so that you can be together forever. You had through a full physical because everyone thought that you were dead." Jethro remembered that incident. He had no idea that it was because of a stalker though. He never believed that Tony was dead... but Stan would have thought he had a personality transplant from the way he was behaving.

"So I had a small bout of amnesia. That can happen to anyone." Jeremy snorted. It was more than a 'small bout of amnesia'. He lost his entire memory and still managed to make it back to Washington without anyone seeing him.

"Chicago."

"Oh, that one was bad." Tony winced at the memory.

"What happened?" asked Jethro when he finally found his voice again.

"All I'm saying on that one is that Leroy Gibson is not allowed in the state of Illinois for another four years." Jethro remembered that case. That was right before New Jersey.

All of this just told him how much he didn't know because Tony had the habit of telling just enough to let him know that he was OK.

"Plus, it isn't as though I'm to only one who had trouble with women."

"Don't go there, Tony!" snapped Jeremy.

"Karen." The one word caused the other two men to wince. Karen was one thing that no one ever brought up around Jeremy. Tony was lucky that the other man didn't leap on him for bringing her into the conversation.

The thing was Karen didn't go after Jeremy. She went after Kristina. The girl was only nine at the time and bore a striking resemblance to Karen's daughter, Christine. The only difference were the color of the girls' eyes and even that wasn't that much of a difference. Kristy has blue eyes while the other girl's were gray. Karen tried to claim the Kristina was her daughter who had been kidnapped less than two months before they moved into the area. Jeremy would have never gone

It was Jethro who saved the day. Unfortunately that didn't happen until a week later because Tony had to go underground and he couldn't get on a secure line to call him. He had 'evidence' that Kristy wasn't Karen's daughter. Children Services refused to even look at it until Jethro threatened that they would lose their jobs if they didn't.

Kristina was placed in a group home where she refused to speak English. It was the perfect opportunity to practice her Italian. That didn't mean she wasn't slightly traumatized

It didn't take Jethro long to realize what Tony was doing. He was deflecting attention away from him and onto Jeremy so that he would forget about his current stalker. He taught him how to do that without being detected. Which was why he was surprised Tony would even try.

"You're going in protective custody." He looked pointedly at Tony, telling him that he wasn't going to lest him protest. That didn't stop the younger man from complaining.

"I just got _out_ of protective custody!" he whined. "You can't do this to me every single time you think someone is after me!"

"Yes I can." And that was the end of the discussion.

Saturday September 20, 2003

Jeremy had a unwelcome feeling that something big was going to happen while he was on vacation. Whether that something was going to happen Waikiki or Washington was up for debate. He just hoped that they all just survived whatever it was.

Tony's first day back full time wasn't supposed to start until Monday. With his luck though that didn't happen as planned. They were called in since the director didn't any team but his best on this case. There was no way that he could put his second best team on a case involving a death of a Naval officer on Air Force One. Tony was healthy enough that a few more days wasn't going to make a difference.

"FBI, CIA, DEA, ATF, even NYPD have private jets," complained Tony loudly as they approached the security check-point. All of the gear was piled in his arms.

"At 36 cents a mile do you want to drive?"

"It's humiliating. I don't see why I can't just but a plane and donate it to NCIS. No one will be the wiser. I'll even pay for any maintenance and fuel."

Jethro shook his head. They had this talk before and each time Tony lost.

"Were LEO's." Jethro showed the security guard his badge while Tony got the papers.

"Capricorn," responded the guard.

"LEO, stands for law enforcement officer."

After explaining who they were and that NCIS wasn't like CSI unless you were dyslexic, they were saved, embarrassingly, by Ducky. He claimed that there bags were his so that they could gate to their gate faster.

"That wouldn't have happened if you would let me buy our own jet. No security checks."

Jethro pretended to consider it. "No Tony!"

"First no horse, now no plane. Would you say no if I wanted to buy a house?"

"Only if you get married first and it's nowhere near my neighborhood."

"That's cold Boss."

* * *

Air Force One, or rather Alpha Foxtrot 2900 according to Secret Service Special Agent Kate Todd, was crowded with people when the team arrived. Their largest concern was the FBI. Fornell and his men hadn't meet Ducky; Jethro used that to his advantage. Despite knowing Jethro and Tony he didn't take them as a serious threat and allowed Ducky to do the examination. He could always demand that he be given the report as long as he got the body. And he was determined that he would get the body despite the fact it was a naval officer who died on Air Force One.

Ducky didn't want to declare a cause of death without a thorough examination. The man was young and a stroke,or as Tony eloquently phrased it as a 'brain fart', seemed unlikely. With that assessment everyone but Tony and Jethro left.

"Tony, go hot. Show the pilot your credentials, get us the hell out of here," ordered Jethro. He smirked when he saw that Tony was going the wrong way. "Hey! Cockpit's on the top deck."

"I knew that." He suppressed a blush.

"And that's why you can't but your own plane!" Tony sent him a glare.

Ducky continued his exam while talking to Jethro.

Kate returned to plane and began yelling at Gibbs demanding to know what was going on and who they were. She wasn't happy to learn they were NCIS and were taking over the case. She was even less happy they tried to push her off the plane so that they could hijack it. She had no choice but to agree for now. She really didn't want to shoot the other agent if she could help it.

Though it was Tony that irritated her the most. Though Kate tried to ignore him as she talked to Ducky about the time of death which was 20:32 Zulu.

"Excuse me, you'll need to stand clear so that I can take measurements for my crime scenes sketches, thanks." The man sounded a little to haughty for her like and responded in kind.

"Sketches? You've taken a dozen photos."

Tony picked up a brochure of the resort that Jeremy went to in Waikiki. It sported a photo of a model that was dressed in a bikini. Kate ignored that it was a brochure and scoffed at him. "Tell me her measurements."

"You're pathetic."

"No, I'm serious. Can you tell if she's 5'4" in a 35-C, or 5'7" in a 36-D? You can't, not from a photo. That's why we do sketches, take measurements. Thanks." He pushed her out of the way. "Now, I would appreciate it if would let me do my job. Oh, and don't touch anything."

"I've got 19:50 Zulu, that's nearly an hour earlier."

She didn't like being wrong. "Well, then you miscalculated."

"Ducky doesn't miscalculate!" He really didn't like this girl's attitude.

Just then Jethro came back from his meeting with Morrow.

"What's the problem?"

"There's apparently a discrepancy between my time of death and the President's physician's,"explained Ducky. They both ignored the looks that Kate and Tony were giving each other. Tony usually got along with the other agencies (barring the FBI but no one really got along with them) so there must have been a good reason why he didn't like Agent Todd. They would talk about it later when they solved the case.

"Log yours." Tony was right. Ducky rarely miscalculates. "Enough sketches, Tony. Agent Todd's gonna give you a floor plan."

"Oh, no she won't." She didn't take her eyes off from Tony who was now discussing the brochure with Ducky.

"What can you tell me about Commander Trapp?"

"I can't give him Air Force One floor plans, they're top secret." she growled with an unimpressive glare.

"Come on, I saw this in a Harrison Ford movie."

"Well that's Hollywood speculation, you're asking for the real thing!"

"Isn't the President's head down her someplace?"

"No," Kate snapped.

"Now this was in the movie!" He looked around the conference room he just walked into, and point to the chair at the head of the table. "Yeah! Harrison was sitting right here."

"I can't risk those plans getting out in the Internet."

Jethro gave her a hard look that was much more impressive than her glare. "NCIS does not leak. These plans get out, you can shoot Tony."

Kate wasn't amused. "No, I think I'm destined to shoot you," she snipped again.

"What about Commander Trapp?"

"Only met him this morning. He just received his Yankee White clearance and was Major Kerry's backup. The major has the flu."

"We'll have to get a Navy doc to verify that."

Kate was getting frustrated with Gibbs. She would swear that he was worse than DiNozzo. "He's got it. But go ahead, and waste a doctor's time double-checking like your… Ducky."

He continued exploring the plan. It was remarkably similar to the plane from his favorite movie. He was having fun annoying Kate, even though it wasn't completely intentional. He lead her back to the crime scene without her even realizing it.

It was then that Ducky was able to explain why there was a discrepancy in the time of death. The President's Physician didn't count on the fact that Commander Trapp had been dead for an hour. Kate didn't like that she had been wrong but decided that she should play nice... for now. Because it wasn't her that was wrong, it was the doctor.

She was riled up again when she saw that Tony was sitting in the president's chair. That was too much for her to handle. She refused to let her temper to get the better of her. She was an agent of the Secret Service and she had to behave like one. There was no way that she would loose her job because of this when it wasn't her fault.

The two men began bagging and tagging evidence, aka the president and Commander Trapp's lunch, with Kate asking questions about why they wanted plates of cold food. The smell of the food got to her and made her feel a bit queasy. She ran out of the room before she could get sick and Gibbs ran after her, forcing her to vomit in an evidence bag.

* * *

Time passed slowly on the plane. Soon after Ducky took a look at Kate she was called away to the Comm. Gibbs probably knew that she was getting orders to hand the body over to the FBI. With her gone he, Tony, and Ducky had the time to stow the body away. Other than a simple inquiry as to where the body was, nothing more was said on the matter, not even when they got back to Washington. Kate didn't even say anything when it came clear that DiNozzo didn't leave the plane. It wasn't her business to worry about him. All she had to do was escort the body to the FBI agents.

Sunday September 21, 2003

Being stuffed into a body bag was not Tony's idea of fun, nor was being thrown out of the car while still in said body bag. He had been discovered not long after one when his dad oh so smartly decided to call him. He probably wouldn't have been found until after they got to Hoover if it weren't for his cell ringing. Jethro did it on purpose to get back at him for goofing off on the plane. It was only a few harmless photos and Ducky did it too.

The case went slowly from that point on. Jethro and Tony both managed to take a short nap, Jethro was down in autopsy and Tony was on the too small futon in Abby's lab.

A few hours later they had all gathered, including Fornell and Kate. Ducky nor Abby could find anything that showed foul play. As they left, Gibbs grabbed Kate's arm and gave her a piece of gum.

"Kate, when's the President returning?"

"Uh, tomorrow. Noon. I'm flying back tonight to rejoin the detail." She was suspicious.

"Mind if I tag along?" He smiled innocently at the young agent. "Please?"

"You can. Your Sig Sauer can't. We have a rule: no weapons on Air Force One unless they're Secret Service." She gave him a smug smile.

"Keep looking," he ordered Abby. He was convinced that it was murder.

"Wow, Gibbs said 'please'.

Monday September 22, 2003

Getting on Air Force One the second time was so much easier since Jethro had clearance to be there. He took in his surroundings, giving the reporters suspicious glances once in a while. _Air Force One _was his favorite movie for good reason. It nothing to do with the fact that the turncoat was named Gibbs, he wasn't Secret Service after all.

"Where they going?" Jethro asked Kate.

"The President promised ten minutes to each member of the press on board. Since we kicked them off at Wichita, he's playing catch up."

"Three years before 9/11, Clancy wrote a book where a terrorist hijacked a commercial jetliner and crashed it into the Capital. In the Harrison Ford movie, the terrorists were reporters." Tony had him read the book, before 9/11 it was one of his favorites. Now, they couldn't even find a copy of it in Tony or Kristy's collections.

"Gibbs, everyone on board has been vetted by us for years. Except you."

"In the film, the terrorists got they're credentials from a Secret Service turncoat."

He got her to tell him more about the plane that he was on. He was called away for a teleconference with Tony and the others. With that he walked away hoping that whatever they said would finally break their case.

Kate practically collapsed when Gibbs told her that Tim Kerry was dead and had been dead since just after she had met with him at the bar. Then being accused of his death was too much. She may have broken things off with him but she never wanted him to die... especially not alone.

Another man began to stroke while they were talking. Terrorists had vetted a reporter just like they did in the movie. Jethro ordered Kate to cover the president. He grabbed a gun from armory since it was already open.

Leonard, the reporter, fired his automatic but missed hitting anyone. With three shots, the man was dead and everyone was safe.

Tony prodded down the stairs to the basement long after the usual office hours. He was still under protective custody since even after a week Anna Kava was still calling him. He only knew her last name because Abby ran her picture through a recognition program which she had only just been able to to do. He was being forced to stay at the house until it all goes away.

But that wasn't why he was asked to meet Jethro in the basement. No, it was for a completely different reason. One that Tony probably wasn't going to like. It wasn't long before Jethro finally came home.

"I asked Agent Todd if she wanted to be part of my team. She said yes."

"You couldn't have told me that before you hired her, why?"

"Because I knew that you would have a fit. She has potential to be a great agent. She just has a lot to learn."

"And you want me to be the who teaches her!" Tony scoffed. "Kate will have to tone down that attitude of hers."

"She will or she'll answer to me. I wouldn't have hired her if I didn't think the two of could work together on a permanent basis."

Tony sighed. "Fine. If she causes any trouble then I want her gone. And I don't want her to know about Kava."

Jethro only smiled and began working on his boat, the sound of the news cast gave them a little background noise as they worked.

A/N Please review.

What I wrote about Wisconsin and Michigan accents is true. They do have a slightly different dialect.


	25. October 2003

CBS and Paramount Pictures own NCIS.

You're to Blame

**You are to blame for anything that is good in my heart. You are to blame for this change that has taken me by storm. - Mercy Me**

SPOILERS: some dialogue is from Hung Out to Dry (01x02).

A/N I have decided that I won't be rewriting each of the episodes, there won't be much of a point for me to do that since the episodes that I don't write about would be pretty much the same as to what happened on the show but with only Jeremy present. I will however try to mention all of them up to my ending point somewhere in the sixth season. I will focus on one episode from each month and maybe mention other episodes.

Also, to be clear, Gibbs never remarried. So, his anniversary never happened.

Chapter Twenty-five – October 2003

Thursday October 2, 2003

When Jeremy arrived back to work, half a week later than he originally planned, he expected things to be pretty much the same. He hadn't been home for an hour before he got a call from Jethro that they had a case. He grabbed a cup of coffee then headed to the field. Jeremy hadn't expect to find that Vivian Blackadder had finally been replaced and certainly not by a Secret Service agent. Letting someone from another agency on their team didn't seem like something Jethro would do unless he knew that she was worthy and trustworthy. Tony told him all about her as they processed the crime scene, a young Marine that impaled an SUV.

At least least this one wasn't a redhead.

It was Tony that brought her to the crime scene. Jeremy nearly laughed at the suit that she was wearing. Something like that was ok around the office but out it the field it was probably the most impractical choice she could have made... especially the heels.

"MP's weren't gonna let her passed," smirked Tony. It was kinda funny.

"I got my Sig and badge, but HQ didn't issue my photo ID," she huffed annoyed that they didn't think she would need that as soon as possible. "God, is this for real?

"Unfortunately," said Ducky, "my dear, it is."

Gibbs handed her a pair of gloves, reminding her of the rules. "Put 'em on."

"Ah, your first crime scene with us, Caitlin."

"What about Air Force One?"

Ducky paused for just a moment. "Doesn't count, you were in the Secret Service. Hey, Tony, take a team photo for posterity."

"Forget posterity. Sun's gonna be up soon." He handed Kate a box. "Welcome to NCIS."

Confused, she pulled a boot out of the box. "How'd you know my size?"

Jethro only smirked and put a NCIS cap on her head. "Put 'em on. Can't work a field in high heels."

"Depends on the kind of work you're doing." He said it in a way that he knew that Kate would take it the wrong way.

"Your mind, DiNozzo, runs the gamut from X to XXX." Kate glared at Tony. She took the comment the way Tony predicted she would.

"That isn't fair, Kate," scolded Jeremy, defending his friend. "There have been times that women, and men, have had to wear heels in the name of duty."

Kate scoffed at him. "Who are you anyways? I haven't seen you around NCIS before."

"Dr. Parkinson."

"Doctor?" She didn't quite believe him. "What kind of doctor?" Kate glanced at Ducky knowing that the other man wasn't a Medical Examiner.

"He's a psychologist," answered Tony who had been taking photos from the SUV.

"Yours?"

"No, he's mine. Now get moving! I don't want to be here all day!" Kate rushed off to follow her orders causing Tony to snicker. Jethro pointedly glared at him and Tony started to take pictures again.

* * *

The rest of the morning went by slowly. They did interviews with the rest of Sergeant Larry 'Thumper' Fuentes' team but they couldn't pick up any clues from what they were saying. Though some of them did seem to be lying to protect Fuentes because he jumped with an injured clavicle under the influence of pain killers. Kate thought that was stupid but Gibbs argued that any Marine would do the same... he would have done the same and so would have Tony.

Abby found proof that Fuentes was using pain killers fast enough.

"Abby, you have my tox screen results?" asked Gibbs.

"Yup, right over here." She went over to her computer. "The victim tested positive for Percocet and Vicodin. Double your pleasure."

"Double your fun," joked Tony back.

Jethro ignored the two of them for that. "What kind of levels?"

"0.17. He was slow juiced, like a koala bear. My guess is that he popped right before he dropped."

"The Marines we questioned probably knew."

"Why didn't they tell us?" That confused Kate. The Marines they talked to should have wanted them to find out what happened to their comrade as fast as possible.

"Semper Fi. You rat, you fry." Both Jethro and Tony gave her a look that caused her to quickly sober. "Sorry." No one called on her apologizing.

"Was his reserve chute okay?

"Yeah, it was perfect. All he had to do was pop it."

"Well he might have, if his reflexes weren't slowed by opioids," said Kate with a slight smugness in her voice.

"Opioids?"

"General term for opiates and synthetic analgesics."

"Go Kate!" cheered Abby as they bumped fists.

"You sure you were a Baltimore cop?" Jethro had a smirk on his face that Tony didn't like.

"I was in Baltimore for only a few months! Jeremy probably knows more about Baltimore's crime rate than I do. He did have more free time than I did." Tony would never had said that if Jeremy was there to overhear him. He was glad that the older man was upstairs going over the paperwork that he missed while he was on vacation.

The two women either ignored them or just didn't understand what they were talking about.

Abby went over everything else she found on the parachutes. She hadn't found exactly what caused the damage to the line so Jethro left Kate with her to 'schlepp' while he, Tony and Jeremy went back to talk to the jumpers again.

* * *

Jethro and Tony spoke to Corporal Dafelmair while Jeremy observed. Dafelmair happened to be a rigger and a reformed criminal. He was very adamant that it was impossible to know who would get what chute and that it was a coincidence that he got one that he had packed.

Jeremy had a feeling about the guy but couldn't put his finger on it. He was very good a deflecting... putting the blame on others when there wasn't any blame. All in all the guy was plan hinky, as Abby would call it. He didn't voice these thoughts because he wanted to wait until he heard what Abby had to say before coming to any conclusions about any of the Marines

As they left the other two men noticed that Tony was staring at the jumpers with almost a longing look. While Tony wasn't fully trained to jump out of a plane at a moments notice, he did have to jump a few times during his training as a Marine. The look on his son's face concerned Jethro slightly.

"You ever miss it?"

"Sometimes."

"Do you regret leaving?"

He looked directly into Jethro's eyes. "Nope. You?"

"Nope."

Friday October 3, 2003

When they got to the office the next day they went straight to the lab, hoping that Abby had more on the parachutes. She had more but it didn't help them get any closer to their killer.

"Very electric kool-aid, Abby," Tony commented when he saw that the parachute was spread out.

Abby smiled. "I was thinking more Blue Man Group."

"Nah, you're both wrong. It's definitely _Blues Clues_." The other two looked at him as though he was insane. _Blues Clues_ wasn't even around when Kristina was young enough to enjoy it.

"Sergeant Fuentes' chute wasn't the only one tampered with," Kate reported.

"How many?"

"Nine out of sixteen. Logbook signatures shows different riggers packed the lot."

"How many did Corporal Dafelmair pack?"

"Four. The rest were packed by Corporal Brinkman and Sergeant Fuentes."

"Corporal Ramsey didn't pack any?" asked Tony.

"Nope. When his signature didn't show up on a single chute, I called Captain Faul. He put Corporal Ramsey on a two-week rigging suspension for sloppy work. And guess who wrote him up for that sloppy work."

"Senior rigger, Sergeant Fuentes." Kate nodded.

"We've got motive," said Tony.

"We got more than that. Kate and I have a theory."

"Why didn't you take to me this fast?" Tony had a little pout on his face.

"You're like a piercing, Tony. Takes a while for the throbbing to stop and the skin to grow back."

Tony smiled ruefully. "That's more than I wanted to know."

Jethro once again ignored the banter but Jeremy couldn't help but chuckle a little at his friends' expense. It did take some people time to get used to Tony. "What's the theory?"

"Okay. Every time you lace up your Docs or cinch your laundry bag, you leave some skin cells behind. It's the same with the parachute rigging." She typed something into the computer. "I pulled skin samples from the deployment bags of the chutes that were futzed with."

"Did you get a DNA signature?"

"All nine knots had a number of different sets of skin samples, but there's only one set that's common to all nine."

"The saboteur."

"Our riggers of record packed the chutes, then someone came in and repacked them, leaving some skin behind," Kate told them what she learned from Abby.

"Corporal Ramsey." He was the main suspect at the moment.

"Well, depending on how much he knows about forensics, he's either very smart or very dumb." Tony was willing to bet that it was the latter.

"There's gotta be other chutes that Corporal Ramsey packed in the paraloft inventory for comparison."

Abby shook her head. She couldn't give him what he wanted. "Hnn, negatory. I checked. They were all packed since he's been suspended."

"Well there's an Armed Forces DNA registry. All military personnel are on record, right?"

**"**Yeah." The others knew where she was going with her trail of thought but didn't have the

"Then we got our guy." She smiled smugly not knowing how naive she was.

"No." He sighed. "All we got is a pile of dead skin."

"The only thing you can use the DNA registry for is to identify a body," added Jeremy.

"Well there has to be a way around that."

Gibbs gave her a look of pride. She was learning something from him after all. "See, now you're thinking like an NCIS agent."

Kate grinned.

* * *

Convincing Lt. Bud Roberts to give them a chance to use the the DNA registry to confirm that they were looking at the right suspect proved to be impossible... just as it had back in April when they went after Rabb's to determine whether or not he was Loren Singer's baby's daddy. But Jethro wasn't expecting Bud to allow him access, not when a search authorizations would work.

"You knew Lieutenant Roberts wasn't going to lawyer us access to the military database," Kate accused.

"Did I?" he tried and failed to sound innocent.

"You did. So what was the point in this exercise?"

"Kate, I come from a long line of horse traders. First rule, you pick the best horse in the barn and you work the deal until it bursts."

"That way, when you go for the second best nag, you her for a song." Tony had heard Jethro use this story a million times to explain his methods.

"We didn't have probable cause," said Jeremy.

"The lieutenant is a man who aims to please. You never work the system when you can work the people."

"Any of those horse traders you come from get hung?"

Jeremy snickered at Jethro's reply. "Yeah, a few."

Kate really wasn't surprised by that answer. The fact that she wanted to shoot the man when they first met went a long way into how his ancestors may have been like. She didn't realize that she had stopped paying attention until Ramsey was brought up.

"Did you find out what Ramsey was written up for?

Tony grabbed his clipboard and began reading from it. "Frayed lines, bent cones, cuts in the canopy. Tell ya, I hope this guy isn't going to medical school at night." He scanned his mind for anything else that was relevant. "Scuttlebutt is―"

"Scuttlebutt?" asked a confused Kate.

"Marine for water-cooler gossip. You'll get used to it after awhile. Marine terminology is fairly common around here," Jeremy told her. He had two Marines in his family it was impossible to avoid learning how speak like them. Even Kristy picked it up quickly... then again she picked up new languages faster than anyone he knew.

"The scuttlebutt is that Ramsey took a swing at Thumper for getting him suspended."

"Meet me at the paraloft at 1400. We'll execute our search authorizations to go through the rigger's lockers."

"That's 1900 Zulu, Kate." Kate looked at Tony in surprise. She wouldn't have thought that her partner knew Zulu.

* * *

It wasn't every case that Jethro interferes with the family. But there were some that he just couldn't avoid and this was one of them. Plus talking to the family even when they weren't involved could bring some insight into the case. Billy, Fuentes' son, gave him that insight that he needed and it came in the form of a tree house, a password, and JFK. It was a good man that they lost and witnessing it himself through his family made all the more real than from what his Marine buddies could have told him.

When Jethro made it back to the base Tony and Jeremy were in full camo gear. It seemed as though Jeremy had already jumped and was waiting for Tony. The psychologist had a huge grin on his face and was breathing heavily. Jeremy never got to do stuff like that when he and Tony were in OSP since he was the support ans worked in the background.

* * *

It had been awhile since the last time Tony jumped higher than a few feet but his muscles were well trained years before.

"How was that?" Tony asked the Marine that was training him and Jeremy.

"Very ladylike," Kate answered instead.

"Tony! Jeremy!" barked Jethro. "What are you doing?"

The two men looked at each other with guilt in their eyes.

"Ah..." Tony took the helmet off. "Just doing a little research for Abby."

Gibbs gave him an incredulous look. He clearly didn't believe him. "For Abby?"

Jeremy nodded as Tony answered for the both of them. His words only got them into more trouble. "Well, maybe we're serving two masters."

"You're serving one now."

"How did you get into NCIS?

"I got arrested." Tony smiled at her when she froze in shock. "Actually, that's classified." She had run to catch up to them.

* * *

Everything pointed to Ramsey. The acid that melted the shroud lines was even in his locker. He denied that it was his. It was a natural response... one that the three men heard numerous times. Many claimed innocence even when there was no doubt that they did it.

But Ramsey was different.

Jeremy was positive that it wasn't Ramsey that didn't do it. There just wasn't any proof. The evidence that they did have pointed that he was guilty. He had a motive and the stuff found in his locker told them he had means and opportunity. But there was still something that bothered Jeremy. It was too easy once they knew what they were looking for. It was too clean. They always got the weird cases and other than how Fuentes died, the case was straight forward.

In interrogation Ramsey continued to claim his innocence. Even when they found a key to the paraloft.

"Are you gonna tell me that was a plant too?"

"Had to be. I'm not guilty, sir."

"They're always so sincere when they say that," remarked Tony.

"I don't think that he's guilty," Jeremy told Kate and Tony.

Kate forcefully turned to the psychologist. "You don't honestly believe that!"

"Yes, I do."

"C'mon, all the evidence points to Ramsey and only Ramsey."

"Let him explain, Kate I've worked in this business to know that not everything is always as it seems. Working for the Secret Service should have taught you that as well."

"Everything points to Ramsey."

"We already know that!"

"Let him speak Agent Todd. He may not be an agent but he's still your superior."

"I'm sorry."

"Everything points to Ramsey. What if it really was planted? Scuttlebutt has Ramsey punching Fuentes. That gives the real killer some else to blame."

"A red herring."

"Exactly. Maybe Fuentes caught his killer doing something and waited for the most opportune time to get rid of him.

"That's pure speculation."

"That's part of our job."

In the end Jethro gave Ramsey a chance to prove that he was innocent... though there was a greater chance that they'll find more evidence against him.

* * *

It was never fun being the one that's left behind... especially when it's because you have to write a report... even more especially when the report is really not all that interesting. Kate and Jethro were off talking to Faul and Jeremy was on the phone with Kristy. Tony knew better than to interrupt that since it had been a while since he had spoken to her and even longer since they seen each other.

He thought back to their conversation from before they left. His dad called him bubba. He had never called him bubba before. It was just odd. He was used to being called kid or son but that was just something a dad would call his kid... not bubba in front of a new coworker.

He shook his head and went back to his reports. Hopefully Jeremy would be finished soon and would help him complete them.

Tony was finished with the reports when they got back, with no help from Jeremy. He would swear that he purposely waited until he was finishing with the last one before he got off the phone. At least he had a good excuse for making him do all the work. Though Jethro didn't like it when they made personal phone calls during cases... especially calls to family.

"The Captain have an alibi?" asked Tony.

"He was nowhere near the paraloft when the chute's were sabotaged."

"Ramsey's the dirtbag."

"It could still be Dafelmair or Brinkman."

"You believe me." Jeremy smiled at Kate while Tony glared at the two.

"Maybe." She smiled back.

Gibbs ignored the banter, again, as he read Tony's report that was actually legible. "Sergeant Fuentes supervised the riggers handing out chutes."

"Yeah, he watches the riggers from the back of the truck."

"Ramsey participated." He didn't take his eyes from the report.

"Well, he's on suspension from rigging, not passing out chutes or jumping.

"He could have given Thumper a dirty chute," theorized Kate.

Jethro suddenly looked up at her. "What'd you say?"

"Ramsey. Could have given Thumper a sabotaged chute."

"No you said 'dirty'.

"What?"

"With the boss, you never know."

Jeremy smirked. "I think I do."

The three them followed him down to Abby's lab where they found cocaine on a dirty reserve chute that wasn't found with the rest Fuentes' belongings. Unlucky number thirteen.

They were going for a little ride.

* * *

When Jeremy called Kristina he didn't mention exactly why he, Tony, and Grandpa Jethro would be unavailable. The girl didn't need to know that he was going to be 1300 ft. in the air preparing to jump out of a plane. He wasn't sure why he was coming. Sure, he was qualified but that didn't mean that he was the right person for the job. It made more sense for him to be on the ground with Kate at he drop point. Or he could have stayed at home with his daughter that he hadn't seen in a week and a half. Nope, jumping out of a plane was the last thing he had in mind on his first day back.

"Hey, Cap!" called Gibbs as the three of them joined the Marines preparing to climb abroad.

"Aren't you a little old to re-up?"

He repressed the urge to roll his eyes... he's been spending too much time with Addison. "I hear there's a war on."

"Agents DiNozzo, Parkinson, I can't tell if you're enlisting or just _listing._" It kinda bothered Tony that he couldn't be recognized as a Marine as well.

"Ha, ha, ha. That's a good one."

"I'm not an agent," Jeremy muttered under his breath.

"We're going with you boys. NCIS training mission."

Faul really did roll his eyes. "Now why don't I believe that?" Gibbs simply looks at him as if daring him to not allow them on the plane. "Hell, why not? Hate to pass up the opportunity to toss a few NCIS agents out of a plane."

"Not an agent." Tony just elbowed him in the stomach as they were helped abroad. Tony and Jethro were on one side while Jeremy was on the next to Brinkman.

The Marines were naturally curious as to why they were there. They had Ramsey and that was enough to make them believe in his guilt... except for the real killer but he really didn't count.

"Why are you jumping with us, sir?" Brinkman asked Tony.

"It's been awhile. Wanted to see if I could still do it. Agent Gibbs came along to laugh." That last sentence was added as an after thought.

Brinkman turned to Jeremy to ask the same question. "Doc?"

"I'm being forced to participate in this little exercise. The Boss here thinks that I need the field experience." He scowled at Jethro but it looked as though he was mocking him rather than being truly upset that he was there.

"Hard to believe Dave killed Thumper over a lousy two-week suspension, sir." Dafelmair was digging for information noted Jeremy.

"Yeah."

"Thumper rode him, sir. But no more than the rest of us. Just doesn't make sense," added Brinkman.

"Oh no!" Tony suddenly sounded a little panicked.

"What, chickening out?"

Tony scowled at Jethro the same way Jeremy had moments before.

"Thirteen. I haven't jumped in awhile and my reserve is number thirteen. Trade with me Jeremy?" Tony's voice was almost pleading. It was why he made sure a good undercover agent.

"Nope. I like having number seven."

"Wouldn't have bothered Thumper, would it guys?" The two Marines shared a look. "Either of superstitious?"

"No sir!" they answered together.

Tony traded with Dafelmair. He hesitated but he made the switch. Soon Faul gave the order to stand up. The men grasp hands to haul each other up to their feet in the cramped space. Gibbs and Dafelmair help each other – neither looks pleased. Dafelmair takes the lead in the string, Gibbs right behind him. Faul gave his second order for them to hook up. The Marines, Tony, Jeremy, and Jethro did this and started to move forward.

"Thumper ride you, Corporal Dafelmair?"

"He rode everybody, sir."

"About being a drug dealer?" Dafelmair froze in shock. "That's his reserve you're wearing. The one you switched on him when he landed."

He looked down at the chute, not quite sure if he should believe him. "Don't know what you're talking about, sir."

"You were the first one down. First one to get to Thumper."

"Ramsey was helping Brinkman out of a tree," continued Jeremy.

"What are they talking about, Paul?"

"I don't know!" Dafelmair denied.

"I only takes a few minutes to switch a bad chute for a good one."

"Marine Corps gave you a second chance. When Thumper found out you soiled the uniform by dealing drugs, he wouldn't do it."

"I thought Corporal Ramsey was guilty."

"He _is,_ sir," Dafelmair said rather aggressively."

Jethro then cut his main chute, surprising everyone. Jeremy didn't know that this was part of the plan and from the look on Tony's face neither did he. They all knew that the reserve wasn't going to open. Dafelmair knew that he was out of options and accepted that he could get a deal. Tony unhooked himself to read him his Article 31s.

No one expected Brinkman to flip out like he did. So when he attacked Dafelmair, no one reacted fast enough. By the time Jeremy had secured him, Tony had been pushed out of the plane.

During the time between Tony being pushed out the plane and when the chute opened, Jethro felt his heart literally stop. Tony was trained for this kind of thing but even the best can freeze when they are shocked. He couldn't bare to lose Tony because of a stupid accident. Plus, he really didn't want to arrest Brinkman for reckless endangerment if he had accidentally killed Tony.

But it did open and Tony was evening whooping from the exhilaration caused by the sudden drop.

* * *

It was late by the time they got back to the office. Only Tony and Jethro returned to the office. Even though he knew Kristina was already sleeping, Jeremy had to home to her. Kate, well, they didn't know what Kate was up to.

"We going home soon?" Tony hadn't stayed at his place since Anna Kava made herself known as a stalker.

"Yup."

"You ever think we'll make on the eleven 'o clock news?"

"We would have if you had broken your neck tonight." Even though the words were harsh Tony could hear the fondness that he still held for him.

Saturday October 4, 2003

The next morning Jethro went to the Fuentes' home. He couldn't in good mind let that little boy have an incomplete tree house.

"Can I come up?" asked Billy Fuentes.

"You got a password?"

**"**Yes, sir. Semper Fi!"

"That's a good password. Come on up," said Jethro while grinning.

Friday October 31, 2003

During the past few weeks they had gotten a few more cases. Each weirder than the last. But none of that was important once again Tony was missing and no one knew where he was. Their only clue was the fact that they hadn't been able to get Anna Kava into custody. They just didn't have any proof that she took him.

Jethro blamed himself for this. If he hadn't agreed to let Tony get breakfast for the team then he would be at the office, nice and safe away from the crazy woman that decided to take him on Halloween.

Bad things always happened to Tony on Halloween.

* * *

It was dark when Tony finally woke. He had no idea where he was because as far as he knew there weren't any caves located near Washington DC.

"So, who are you?"

A/N Guess who has Tony and I'll give you an imaginary brownie... with ice cream on top. So, is it the FBI, CIA, NSA, ICE, or an associate of Tony's father?


	26. November 2003

CBS and Paramount Pictures own NCIS.

You're to Blame

**You are to blame for anything that is good in my heart. You are to blame for this change that has taken me by storm. - Mercy Me**

SPOILERS: Mentions of _High Seas_ and dialogue from _Sub Rosa._

Chapter Twenty-six – November 2003

Saturday November 1, 2003

Hours passed since Tony had woken up in the cave. The woman across from him, who Tony suspected wasn't Anna Kava, hadn't said a single word. Tony was running commentary on every 1960's television show that he could think of. Judging by the tick above Anna's left eye, she just about ready to snap.

And not once did the smile slip from his face.

The whole situation was ridiculous. Though he had to give Anna her props... he had never been held captive in a cave before. The woman was an amateur. Clearly she had no clue what she was doing or she would have been questioning him or telling him why he was taken by now, not that he would answer.

That meant that she was waiting for someone. Possibly her partner, though it was more likely to be her boss. He had finished telling the premise of 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.', when he finally arrived. Tony nearly laughed at what the man was wearing. He had to admit that the man had good taste in clothes but he had no idea why he was wearing a full suit in a cave. Even his shoes were still shining, as though he had them done right before he went to speak to Tony. No one in their right mind would do that. Tony didn't include himself because he wasn't there by choice.

"Dr. X I presume?" Tony's smile still didn't falter. The unknown man on the other hand didn't even let the edges of his lips quirk up.

"I prefer Charles. Did Agent Kava inform you of why you are here?"

"Nope."

Charles glared at Anna. "He wouldn't shut up!" she weakly defended herself.

"Then you gag him."

"Either of you want to tell me what's going on?"

"We have a job for you," answered Charles.

"I already have a job."

"A job offer then," he reluctantly corrected himself.

"I'm not interested." Tony didn't care that he sounded petulant.

"Just here us out," demanded Anna. "We have a group of anti-Bush supremacists under our watch."

"Militias aren't part of my jurisdiction unless something Naval is involved."

"How does dozens of UA's, both Marine and Navy, sound to you?"

"Like NCIS should be more involved than just one measly agent. Who are you guys anyways?"

"NSA."

"Great, I got myself kidnapped by a couple of spooks. Let me guess, you want me to infiltrate."

Anna answered even though it was rhetorical. "That is the plan. We'll have you observe, confirm the intel that we have and get out so arrests can be made."

"I'm not doing it."

"You don't really have a choice," claimed Charles.

"Why? Are you going to kill me? Do I know too much?"

"You do but we're not going to kill you."

"We're just going to leave you in the middle France with no passport of any other kind of identification. It won't be much fun for you."

Tony knew that if that was the case then he was fully capable of surviving until he found his way to the American embassy. But that would take weeks... that is if they really did dump him in the middle in France. However, if NSA was behind all of this, he wouldn't put it past them.

"What kind of time scale are we looking at?"

Charles smiled, thinking that he won. "A week. Maybe a little longer if you can't get what we need."

That offended Tony. He had never failed to meet a deadline. "Not a problem." He leaned forward, handcuffs on the floor. It was his way of telling them that he was only going this so he didn't have spend any time in France that he didn't have to. If the two NSA agents were surprised they didn't show it. "When do we leave?"

"0600," smirked Charles.

"Let me guess, that's in Zulu.

"You're a fast learner. I'm impressed." Anna brushed her hand between his shoulder blades as she walked behind him. Tony rolled his eyes at her obvious flirtations but otherwise he didn't react.

"Rule twelve, Agent Kava." She looked confused. "Never date a co-worker. Unfortunately for you, we are co-workers for the duration of this mission."

"And afterward?"

"I'll never see you again." Tony gave her his best smile. "I've developed an aversion to crazy redheads."

"Speaking of hair," interrupted Charles, "it's time that we give yours a little trim."

* * *

Jethro was glad to be rid of Kate for the weekend. She had potential as an agent but he didn't think she could handle the truth about Tony. He wasn't going to get rid of her because she disliked Tony but he had no choice but to restrict her with the important things. Besides, Tony didn't want her to know and Jethro knew that he couldn't deny Tony such a simple request.

He still had Abby and Jeremy to help. Abby was finally able to clean up the security video of Tony's last known whereabouts. A few minutes he entered Anna went in with a man in his mid forties that none of the three recognized. The man plunged a syringe into Tony's neck. No one noticed anything as Tony was carried out. Unfortunately there weren't any cameras in the parking lot so they couldn't track their movements from there.

"Gibbs?" whimpered Abby.

"Hey, we'll get him back." Jethro put a comforting arm around her and held her to his side.

"I know. But the last time we lost him we really did nearly lose him."

"Abby, you just have to have faith that Tony will get out of this situation just like he's gotten out of every other situation that he gotten himself into. If he can survive his father he can survive anything. Understand?"

Abby nodded but wasn't sure if she could believe it. At least last time he went missing they had some idea of who the person was who took him.

Monday November 3, 2003

Kate was furious. DiNozzo had once again chosen not to come in, leaving her with most of his work. Worst still was the fact that Gibbs was barking at her like it was her fault that Tony wasn't there. It was obvious that Jeremy had noticed it but did nothing to stop him from going on a rampage. It wasn't right and she was going to put and end to it.

Well, she would have if Jeremy hadn't followed Gibbs out when he went to get coffee.

There wasn't much time before they came back so Kate basically flung herself out from behind her desk and to the stairs. This earned her a few odd looks but she didn't care. She needed answers and Ducky was the only one that could give them to her... or so she hoped.

"Hey, Ducky!" Kate was glad that he was doing paperwork rather that standing over a body. She tried to not let some of the aspects of her job bother her but it still grossed her out seeing a body cut open.

"Ah, good morning my dear Caitlin. What brings you down here?"

"Gibbs, he's been acting, well, more like himself than usual. And it's all because DiNozzo isn't here!"

That was news to Ducky. "Anthony still isn't here?" worry seeped through his words. "It's no wonder Jethro is playing up that second 'b' of his."

"What do you mean?"

"I was afraid of that," he said to himself. "My dear haven't you noticed just how protective Jethro is of Tony and Jeremy?"

"Gibbs is our team leader; he's supposed to look after us. Just like we are supposed to look after him."

"I have never seen anything like how he treats those boys on any of the other teams... or in how Jethro treats you compared to them. They would literally do anything for each other without a second thought. Can you say the same?"

"Gibbs would do anything for me." She stumbled over the words. "He would die for me."

"But would he live for you?"

Kate left with a lot to think about. She actually had more questions but she didn't think that Ducky could, or would, answer them.

* * *

Nebraska. The NSA sent Tony to Nebraska. Why the militia he infiltrated chose such a miserable state to hide was beyond him. He liked being warm and Nebraskan weather in November was anything but warm.

Tony, aka Daniel 'call me Ricky' Richardson, was posing as a twenty-seven-year-old (the buzz-cut made him look younger) UA Marine who became disenchanted with the Corps after the 9/11 attacks. Ricky didn't believe Bush was doing enough to protect the country. So one day he had abandoned his post at Camp Pendleton and never returned. His story was similar to so many of the others that no one questioned him... not exactly smart but understandable.

His contact, who had no idea what Tony's real name was, was nineteen-year-old Cody West. The kid belonged at Julliard playing a piano not at some militia training camp freezing his butt off in a puddle. He was pushed into the Marines by his father. He couldn't handle the pressure of basic training and left, finding himself homeless in Nebraska. The militia's leader's assistant, Edmund Sherman, found Cody the previous spring and enticed him to join his 'commune'. When Cody learned that it was more a commune he freaked and called his NSA employed uncle, a sound tech of all things. The uncle brought it to the attention of NSA's director. That lead to Anna and Charles kidnapping Tony.

The missions goal wasn't clear. Tony knew that he was supposed to observe the group but he didn't know what he was supposed to be observing. All that he saw was what the two NSA agents and Cody had already told him. He also had to had to figure out who the leader was. His profiling skills were weak compared to Jeremy's but Tony knew that he could do it. He had to or he'll never get to go home.

Tuesday November 4, 2003

When Jethro got the call from Stan Burley that morning asking for his help he was torn between his sense of duty to his son and his country. He considered sending Pacci or Balboa with Kate and Jeremy but he couldn't justify it when he had no leads to where he could be. His first priority, unfortunately for Tony, had to be the sailors on the _Enterprise. _He told Pacci to contact him if he got a hit on the BOLO he had out on Anna and their mystery suspect, but he didn't say why he put out the BOLO's out in the first place. Anything concerning Tony went beyond classified and into 'if you don't know now you never will'. However, he could trust Pacci with this, he was a friend after all.

New recruits were being sent out to meet with arms dealers that afternoon. 'Ricky' was one of the recruits so Tony made sure that his trusty camera was working properly. He wasn't expected to catch arms dealers but it wouldn't hurt his mission to 'observe'. Too bad ATF would get credit.

Cody had already passed this particular test (it was also what led him to call his uncle) and was sent to his puddle, leaving Tony on his own with two other men that would likely kill him with their bare hands if they learned who he truly was. So far his cover was intact so he wasn't (too) concerned of that happening.

Tony recognized or had used most of what they were purchasing. He wasn't sure whether the fact that everything was going smoothly was a good sign or not. He was... familiar with how he should behave around arms dealers. He had played both roles often enough.

But one guy on the dealers side caught Tony's attention. He didn't seem to fit in with the others... it wasn't obvious but a trained eye could easily pick it up. He was an undercover agent. By the way he was looking at Tony, the guy knew that he was one as well. The man's eyes flickered to the left revealing his partner, big guy that was built like a Seal. Tony subtly shook his head saying that he was alone. The man frowned but nodded.

"ATF! Drop your weapons!" The dealers didn't listen and tried to make a shot at him. The ATF agent reacted quickly and shot the dealers and ran after Tony who began to run the moment he said 'A'. He left his confused partner to clean up their mess. Tony stopped running as soon as he was out of earshot. The ATF agent was only two minutes behind him.

"Dang, you're fast!" he huffed, holding a stitch in his side.

"Have to be." Tony showed no signs of being out of breath.

"Want to tell me why I just broke my cover?"

"Those men we left with your partner were a couple of UA petty officers. They are now part of an anti-Bush militia that I had infiltrated on Sunday."

"You were sent in alone?" The agent would have gladly strangled anyone who thought it was a good idea to send in someone alone on a case that big.

"Well, I am one of the best." He wasn't boasting. Only G. was better and that was because he had even less of a past than Tony. He could hide with the best.

"Still..."

"I need a favor."

"Another one?" Tony gave the ATF agent a Gibbs' glare knowing that he would cower. "Alright, just don't make it unreasonable. I'm probably going to get into enough trouble because of you."

"I need to get into contact with NCIS headquarters in DC without NSA finding out that I'm trying to get into contact with them."

"That I can do. All I need is a name."

Wednesday November 5, 2003

Pacci cheeked the BOLO's one last time before leaving for the day. It was 1900 and he just wrapped up his own case. There was a hit on the man. He was found in Nebraska. They were detaining him at a small police station and was being escorted by an air marshal to DC in the morning. Gibbs and his team were due back at the same time so he didn't waste any satellite time in MTAC and left a note on Gibbs' desk where it was impossible to miss. A few hours couldn't hurt.

Thursday November 6, 2003

It was early when Jethro arrived that morning. His suspect had arrived half an hour before he had and was waiting for him in interrogation. He was so intent on talking to the man that he didn't even turn on his computer which had an e-mail for him from the director saying that he wanted to see ASAP.

They didn't have the suspect's name but given enough time Jethro knew that he would get it. He could get anyone to talk. But his gut was telling him that if this guy didn't talk Tony wouldn't have much time. He told the marshal to leave before

He wasn't saying a word. That was until Morrow came in. Jethro was a little put off that his interrogation was interrupted even though the suspect hadn't actually said anything.

"You want to explain why there's a nation wide BOLO out on your boy coming in from Nebraska of all places!"

"WHAT!" cried two voices.

"DiNozzo has a BOLO on him that has him wanted for connection to an arms dealer and a militia group known for being anti-Bush. It's under the name Daniel Richardson."

"I have to get back to Nebraska," the suspect suddenly said. "Agent DiNozzo will die within the next 48 hours if I don't pull him out."

"What do you mean 'pull him out'? Just who do you think you are?" Jethro shouted at the suspect. He cowered under the intense glare.

"My name is Francis Hollands and I work for NSA. The group that your agent is with doesn't except failure very well." He explained everything that was going on.

* * *

Jethro and Jeremy had left Agent Hollands back in Washington after they got the exact location of the militia training camp. He was being charged with kidnap of a federal agent. The director of NSA protested to arrest claiming that his agent had the right to ask NCIS for help... especially since it was technically NCIS jurisdiction. Then Morrow showed him the tape of Hollands drugging Tony. NSA stopped its protest and gave them the location of Mariana Kader, AKA Anna Kava. That was when Jethro decided not to trust anyone named coffee... not that he had ever trusted Kader.

Kate was also left behind. She didn't even know that they were leaving until they were gone. She complained to Morrow but he just told her that she didn't have the security clearance. There was no other option than to except it. Though she did have orders to pick up Kader but was told that she wasn't to talk to her.

It was one of the few times that Jeremy had been allowed (or wanted) a gun, a rifle so that he didn't have to get too close. Jeremy knew that it was Jethro's way of protecting him if there was a firefight. He was good with a SIG but he didn't have the training the others had when it came to shootouts. He took a few shoots when it looked like the good guys were getting overwhelmed.

Jethro found the building that the militia was holding Tony. He and the team that he was with had already taken out most of the group so his path to Tony had been clear. He managed to get a look at his son through a rough looking window. He was in bad shape but none of it was life threatening. There were three guards and all of them had semiautomatics. Jethro had no choice but to wait for backup. Three against one was never good odds, especially since all he had was his SIG. He winced each time one of the guards kicked Tony. The kid always had bruised rather easily when it came to his ribs. The moment someone had his back he kicked down the door and began shooting. He got two of the militiamen while his backup got the third.

"So, can I go home now?" asked Tony. Jethro chuckled as he untied him from the stake.

Friday November 7, 2003

Tony was told that he had to spend the night at the hospital for dehydration and to keep an eye on any internal bleeding. Tony was fortunate enough that none of the men that were beating him were wearing steel-toed boots. His ribs were cracked but as long as he didn't do anything strenuous they would be fine in a few weeks. His right shoulder was also dislocated and because he was right handed anything strenuous was out of the question in any case. While he could shoot left handed he was better with his right. The doctor ordered him to stay at home (with someone to look after him) for at least a week and then it would be light duty. He was allowed to go into field but he had to very careful not to further his injuries. The doctor also cleared him to travel but suggested that they fly back commercial and not on a priority flight NCIS was so fond of using.

Abby was instructed to meet the three of them at the airport. Once she them she flung herself into Jethro's arms. She had wanted to hug Tony but after seeing just how badly injured he was she knew that it was a bad idea. She didn't want to hurt Tony any more than he already was, especially since his arm was tightly bound to his chest by a sling.

"Abbs, I'm fine. You can give me a hug if you want to. Just don't squeeze me too hard." That was all the invitation that she needed.

Kate was still at the office when they got back. Taking in Tony appearance she felt a little guilty for some of her behavior from the past week. Obviously she didn't know everything that was going on and Tony didn't deserve her bitterness.

"What happened to you?" Her words were demanding but concern could be heard as well.

"Long story Kate and one that you aren't going to believe."

She didn't like that she wasn't going to get answers but accepted that was going to be the norm around here. There was a lot that she wasn't being told but if she wasn't going to be told then she was going to mind her own business. She was still new on the team so she had to earn their trust before they told her.

"Can you at least tell me what you did to your hair? It looks ridiculous."

Tony only stared at her, not willing to give an answer.

Wednesday November 19, 2003

It was a sign from above that it was going to be a bad day (or weird but that was a matter of opinion) when Kate spilled Jethro's first cup of coffee for the day. Tony was telling the truth when he told her that he had never experienced Jethro without his morning coffee. It was bound to be something that most people would want to run away from.

They had been called to Norfolk by an Agent McGee. Tony just had to talk to the kid to five minutes to know that he hadn't been an agent for very long. The body was found after someone dumped a drum full of hydrofluoric acid, making it near impossible to identify the remains, though they did manage to confirm that he was enlisted.

But Tony's attention was only partially on the case. The agent that called them in, Tim McGee, seemed to somewhat familiar, as though he had meet him before. Tony couldn't figure it out until his mind flashed back to July of 1988. It was the kid that he saved from bullies, there were no other possibilities because he knew for a fact that he hadn't met McGee on any of his missions. Tony want to tell Jethro but he could say anything with the kid following him around like a lost puppy... well didn't help that he needed his help with sketches. His arm was still in a sling. Jeremy and Kate were needed by Jethro more.

"I've heard stories about Special Agent Gibbs," McGee said to Tony.

"Only half of them are true. The trick is figuring out which half."

* * *

Gibbs talked to a few witnesses, including the security guard, Perez, who worked at the main gate. No one could have gotten in unless they belonged there, meaning a bunch of 'whale huggers' that had been staking out for the past few weeks.

"We have to keep the crime scene under guard until it's released by Gibbs," Tony told the young agent.

"I'll let security know."

"Gibbs wants NCIS to remain in control."

"So I should stay here?"

"We'll get you relieved as soon as we can."

"OK."

Tony was relieved that he gone... at least for a little while. Kate on the other hand thought he was being needlessly cruel.

"Why are you making him stay here?"

"Because I can."

"That is a complete abuse of authority."

"Lighten up. He's new, he expects to be abused. It goes with the territory."

"This isn't pledge week at Sigma Chi, Tony."

"Actually Kate, Tony's in the right here. McGee needs to toughen up a little if he wants to be an agent. If he stays the same people will never take him seriously."

Thursday November 20, 2003

Abby and Ducky identified the remains as a submariner. The mark turned out to be a tattoo. From what they could recover from it, it was the tail of a dolphin. The problem with that though was that there wasn't anyone missing from any of the submarines... including the Philadelphia.

Jethro suspected that there was an imposter on board but Captain Veitch wouldn't hear anything that might mean there was a security breach. He also wouldn't hear anything about letting Kate go with him to interrogate suspects. In the end though, Jethro won that argument. Jeremy was needed to keep an eye on Tony when he couldn't so he had to take Kate. She was a profiler so she was qualified for what he had in mind.

It turned out that every single one of their five suspects had a reason to lie to them. That made it a whole lot harder to find out who their dead body was and more importantly who the imposter was. They still had no idea who they were after an as Jethro told the Skipper, he wasn't leaving until they were done.

* * *

Abby finally got a face for the victim and sent it to Tony and Jeremy. They were with McGee though Abby didn't know that.

"So are you getting lonely by yourselves, hons?"

"Oh, we're not alone. We're with Special Agent McGee. Say 'hello'." Tony held the phone to McGee's ear.

"Hey McGee. How's your SIG hanging?"

McGee panicked and had no idea how to answer. "Uh...."

"Gotta go Abbs." Tony hung up the phone.

"What's she look like?"

Tony was thrown by the question. "Who?"

"Abby. She sounds cute."

It was one of those rare moments that Tony had to play the 'big brother card'. He was positive that McGee was a good guy but this was Abby and he was sworn to protect her against any all sorts of boys. "Not your type."

"Well, how do know that?"

"Have you ever had the slightest urge to tattoo your buttocks, McGee?"

"I don't think so."

"Then we need never speak of her again. Make copies and circulate them around the base. See if anyone recognizes the guy."

Jeremy watched the interplay in silence. Tony was ridiculous when it came to protecting his baby sister.

* * *

The fingerprints they took gave them nothing but the idea that the guy may have worked in the personnel office back in Norfolk. He had to make a phone call. It irritated Jethro to no end that a bottle of vodka was more important to the Skipper than finding out who killed a member of his crew and then finding his killer. He had two minutes to talk to Tony.

"DiNozzo."

"Tony."

"Hi, Boss. Did you find the guy?"

"No, could be any of our five.

"What's your famous gut saying?"

"I need you to find out who had access to the Philadelphia service records."

"You think they were altered."

"Good guess."

"It wasn't a guess."

"Then why'd you ask?"

"I didn't ask you. It was a ...definitive statement.

* * *

Abby still had no idea who the victim was. She had to know or she wouldn't be able to help Gibbs find his killer and she had to help Gibbs. Ducky's idea to go through the crew photos sure helped though.

* * *

With McGee's help Tony was able to find a possible suspect. Joshua Fox had recently quit and hadn't been seen by anyone since then.

* * *

Kate was getting a little curious with her boss' actions. He had been practically forcing water down her throat. When she questioned his motives his answer wasn't what she hadn't been expecting.

"Oh, you got to hydrate on a submarine."

He wanted her to distract the COB by asking him how to use the toilet. She had to 'unhydrate'

* * *

When Tony broke into Fox's house he wasn't sure what to expect. For one thing though, it wasn't an eco-terrorist with a canister of Sarin gas. It could kill the entire crew

When McGee asked him where he went to college Tony wasn't sure how to answer. His degree in criminology was classified with the rest of his his. Tony gave a one word answer that he gave to everyone else. "Confidential." Knowing the kid was from a moment of his past made it uncomfortable to lie to him.

* * *

Ever since they were told that it was Sarin Jethro had a feeling that it wasn't over. They had caught the person responsible (actually he was dead). Travis should have had a back up plan. Just because he was dead that didn't mean that there weren't other ways for him to release the gas.

Then the ice cream was brought in. It didn't take Jethro to realize that Travis had swallowed the canister that held the Sarin. The canister was designed to be triggered by cold. By killing himself that meant that his body would be placed in the freezer. Travis knew this since it was SOP in sub's. Another emergency blow wasn't fast enough. They had to get the body out of the freezer and off the sub. The only thing that they could think of was shooting the body out like a torpedo.

Friday November 21, 2003

Tony knew that Norfolk wasn't going to be the last time he saw Tim McGee. He just didn't expect it to be so soon and because he had asked Abby out on a date. He had told him, in his own subtle way, to stay away from the girl. He knew that compared to many of them men that she went out with that McGee was a kitten... completely harmless, but he couldn't help but keep her safe from even that. It was what he would have done for Kelly.

Thursday November 27, 2003

Once again Ducky had invited them over for Thanksgiving and once again Jethro had to be creative in how to say no. It was Kristy's first year making the turkey and she was really nervous that it wasn't going to turn out. She didn't have to worry because she had Tony looking over her shoulder. The bird was perfect.

A/N I wrote the majority of this today so please be kind.

I also have to say that only once person came close to answering who had taken Tony.


	27. December 2003

CBS and Paramount Pictures own NCIS.

You're to Blame

**You are to blame for anything that is good in my heart. You are to blame for this change that has taken me by storm. - Mercy Me**

SPOILERS: Mentions of _Minimum Security _and_ Marine Down. _A little of _Marine Down_'s dialogue but not much. Episode rewrites are unnecessary because there is no way to make them different enough even with Jeremy involved.

Chapter Twenty-seven December 2004

Saturday December 6, 2003

It was actually Jeremy's idea for the guys to take Kate paintball. It wasn't because she was a bad shot like Vivian, she was nearly as good as she claimed to be, but because of the stress the last few months caused. This included the last case which involved smuggling emeralds into the States and Guantanamo Bay. There they had meet Special Agent Paula Cassidy. Tony had been put in as a translator, impressing Kate. Though it would be a long time before she stopped teasing him about his fear of iguanas. Jethro knew that if she knew the story behind the fear she wouldn't have laughed.

Ducky said that it was alright for Tony to play as long as he didn't run, or get get shot at, or generally moved. Basically he was saying that Tony couldn't play Tony and Jethro interpreted so that it meant that they had to put Tony in a sniper's nest and change some of their normal rules.

It was only the team, Abby, and Alex Hayes who were playing. Samantha couldn't find anyone to look after the kids and Coral had better things to do. Since their numbers were so low they weren't playing on teams. To make things easier each player had different colored paintballs. The decided that each time a person is shot the shooter (except Tony) is given five points. If shot by Tony the person that he shot looses five points. If you even think about shooting Tony, you're either dead or fired. Jethro hadn't decided yet.... though it would be really hard to fire Alex.

"You know," started Kate, "we should just name Abby the winner now and forget about actually playing." That got Tony's attention. He always liked to hear her opinion of his relationship with Abby.

"Why?" asked Jeremy even though he already knew the answer. Kate did have the tendency to be obvoius once in a while.

"Because there's no way that Tony's going to willingly shoot Abby."

"Ha, ha that's funny. Though I seem to remember, Jeremy, that you had a panic attack the first and only time you shot her. You thought that you were going to get fired."

"Is that why Sam and Alex are the only ones that are willing to shoot me?" Her green eyes blazed with anger. There was a time and place where Gibbs' overprotective nature was sweet, but while playing a game it was annoying.

"Shut up and get your gear on," shouted Jethro. Only Tony had all his gear on besides Jethro. That gave them a chance to talk. "What's up with Abby?"

"Apparently she didn't know about your little directive."

"She's pissed, isn't she?"

"Oh yeah. I suggest that you watch your six in there. There's no telling what Abby is capable of. That girl scares me sometimes." Jethro could only nod hi agreement.

Tony was given ten minutes to reach his nest. This gave him enough time to hide and set up his 'rifle'. He was shooting left-handed, thus making the game that much more of a challenge. In some ways this was a better training method for him than going to a firing range. Not that a firing range wasn't useful It was just easier to determine a person's skills when you have moving targets. What better way to practice than on your friends?

They all went directions when they entered the maze. Jethro circled back and went down the path that he knew Kate went down. It wasn't that hard to catch up with her. Kate's footfalls resounded through the entire room. Sure Alex probably couldn't hear her, he wasn't trained to do that kind of thing. However, Jethro knew that Tony could hear her loud and clear. He positioned himself so that he was in front of her. Kate didn't notice that he passed her. Pulling the trigger he shot Kate slightly to the left of her heart. He shook his head when he heard her yelp in surprise. He ran knowing that they others would be at their location in minutes.

Tony watched as everyone but Jethro rushed to where they heard Kate. One by one they ran into his range and one by one a nice thwack was heard when he managed to hit his targets, including Abby. His aim was a little off but he adjusted it.

As much as he enjoyed watching Abby stalking his dad and Kate being a favorite target over all, he hated that he couldn't fully participate. He love the hunt, search and destroy. It was part of what made him so good at his job. But sitting and basically waiting for the action to come to him wasn't his style.

Kate was in range... again. Her back was facing him. After taking aim, he fired. He wasn't expecting her to turn last minute, taking the shot to her unprotected hip, and he definitely wasn't expecting her to collapse like a rag doll. What surprised him even more was Jeremy running from under his nest towards their fallen comrade.

"Kate!" Jeremy's shout got everyone's attention. "Are you OK?"

She groaned as she sat up, favoring her side. "I'm fine."

"What happened?" asked Jethro as he stopped in front of the trio. Abby was at his heals and Alex showed up soon after from the opposite direction.

"Those two shot at me at the same time and in nearly the same place. I guess the shock of that much pressure caused me to fall over.

"We should have Sam take a look at her," said Alex when he saw the pain in her eyes.

"I don't need to be looked at. I'm fine."

"You'd rather have Ducky look at your ass?" demanded Jethro rather bluntly.

Kate reddened slightly. "I am FINE!"

"Then get up and prove it. Try to run ten miles."

"Ten miles! Who in their right mind runs ten miles?" Three hands went up. Kate gave the men an incredulous look. "I said 'right minds. You three don't really qualify."

"She called a psychologist crazy. Can she do that?" Jeremy joked.

"Kate dose have a point. How long have you been friends with Tony?" Tony gave Alex a glare. He really hoped that Jeremy wouldn't answer that. They had known each other since they were kids. It was only after they went to RIMA that they became friends but it had been over twenty years since they had meet.

Jethro gave Alex one of his famous head slaps. "Don't let her distract you!" Tony and Jeremy realized that the only reason they didn't share the same fate was distance. "Samantha or Ducky? It's your choice. Make it quick though or I'll take that choice away from you."

Kate only thought about it for a moment. She didn't like the idea of someone she didn't know looking at her hip but Ducky was even less appealing. He would surly treat them all with a lecture on the reasons why they shouldn't go looking for ways to get injured when their jobs gave them plenty. They didn't need to go looking for trouble. Though Ducky would have been relieved that it wasn't Tony that had gotten himself hurt again. No, Samantha Hayes was a much better choice.

* * *

The number of children the Hayes had threw Kate into a mild shock. It wasn't the fact that there were five kids running around that surprised her, she came from a large family herself, what surprised her was the fact that these were _Alex's _children. Since Alex agreed to a game of paintball so rapidly she thought he nothing but an overgrown child. Obviously she was wrong. Kate noticed that she started at NCIS she had been wrong quite more often than she was comfortable with.

What surprised her more was how Tony reacted to the children, especially Antoine. The boy clung to him as though he was afraid of her. After a quick, whispered explanation of Antoine's past, Kate understood.

"Tout va bien. Kate est une de mes amies. Elle ne va pas te faire de mal." (It is all right. Kate is a friend of mine. She will not hurt you.)

"Ami?" (Friend?)

"Oui, ami!" (Yes, friend!)

It amazed Kate that Antoine seemed to be fluent in French. Actually, she was amazed that Tony was fluent in the language. Though she wasn't sure why. She knew that he spoke Arabic, Spanish, and Italian as well. Though she was a little annoyed that they were talking about her. She was certain that 'Kate' wasn't a French word.

Kate didn't have long to think about the mystery that was the senior agent. Samantha was leading her upstairs so that they could have some privacy. Sam helped Kate out of her pants and winced when she saw the bruise. Her entire hip was a nasty shade of purple. Sam ordered Kate to take a shower. A bath would have been better but she really didn't want Kate to soak in a tub of paint. Kate wanted to protest but a shower did sound like a nice idea.

The time alone gave her a chance to think. She had witnessed a lot of odd things since joining NCIS, Tony's apparent abduction by NSA was the least of it... and that scared her. It was the relationship that the others had with each other. None of it was normal. It was too close for people who had only known each other for only two years. She tried to let it go but the stranger things got the more she wanted to know what was going on. There was a million questions that she wanted answered but no one could answer them... at work. But maybe a friend outside of NCIS could give her what she needed.

Kate didn't have to wait long for Sam to return after she was done with her shower. She had brought in a salve and a pair of yoga pants and a heavy sweatshirt. They were silent as Samantha helped Kate with the salve. Samantha tried to be as gentle as possible. She didn't want cause anymore pain than Kate was already in.

Kate was pulling on the yoga pants when she asked her first question. "Have you known DiNozzo for long? You and Alex seem to be really close to him." _Just like Gibbs,_ thought Kate.

"I meet him when we were seventeen. We've been best of friends since. Alex is his actual best friend."

"Isn't Jeremy Tony's best friend." That confused her. They sure acted the same way that her brothers acted with their best friends.

"God no. Those two are more like brothers than anything, Agent Todd."

"Call me 'Kate'." Kate knew that if he wanted personal answers then they had to treat each other on a personal level. 'How did you and Alex meet Tony? Did you guys go to school with each other"

"Alex and were from rival schools. Tony and another mutual friend introduce us to each other." The answer was evasive. It answered Kate's question without giving too much away. Kate picked up on it quickly.

"Mutual friend?"

"We had a... falling out." Samantha didn't want to even think about Kathryn's betrayal. Sure she was having a hard time with Tony basically ignoring her but he had just lost Shannon and Kelly, a major part of his family. She just didn't know how to handle a grieving Tony. "None of us likes to talk about it. So please respect that." Kate nodded. "I won't talk about my and Alex's past with Tony... at least nothing that I know he doesn't want me to talk about. Plus, somethings just aren't meant to be talked about. It's nothing bad or illegal but it was really hard for us to live with... especially Tony."

"Alright."

Thursday December 18, 2003

While the shooting range wasn't Tony's favorite place, it was necessary. It helped determine accuracy and whether if they should be allowed to be out in the field. Jeremy was joining them even though it wasn't required for him to be certified to use a SIG, especially since he preferred not to use a gun at all. They got ready as the range officer's voice rang over the P.A.

"Nervous, Kate?" asked Tony. He noticed that her shoulders were stiff. A person could get a better score if they were relaxed.

"Shaking," she answered back sarcastically.

At the horn the three of began firing. Tony, Kate, and Jeremy shut out everything around them except for the sound of the range officer telling them when to cease fire and check their targets.

"Are you nervous, Tony?"

Tony didn't answer. He had no reason to be nervous. His marksmanship wasn't on par with Jethro who was classified as an expert marksman when he was in the Marines. Tony was only a marksman. His job didn't require anything better.

"You only got your guy twice. I win." His bullets were in a neat cluster.

"What are you talking about?" Kate glared slightly. Tony didn't even flinch. "You nearly shot your hostage's ear off." It was true. The there was less than a quarter inch between the hostage and the criminal.

"Almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades," Jeremy told her. He didn't want to admit that he did better than Kate as well. He got his target five times.

Jethro approached his bickering team to inspect their work. "Not bad. All three of you. Of course these targets don't shoot back." He noticed winced at the memory of their recent paintball game and smirked. She had to learn somehow. "Kate, I think you're holding back. Shoot with confidence. Relax your shoulders. Jeremy, don't be afraid to fatally shoot someone. Not your job, I get but you never know when you will have to watch a teammate's six. Tony, that's a nice grouping."

"So I win," bragged Tony.

"Oh, we're just getting warmed up. Give me your cover," he said referring to to his cap.

"What for? Right." he reluctantly handed over the hat. His eyes went wide when he realized what his dad was going to do with his favorite cover. "Oh, come on, boss! I love that cap!"

"Then don't shoot it," said Kate with a hint of glee. She moved to give up her hat as well but Jethro put it back on her head. He took her PDA instead. She squawked indignantly. Surly he couldn't expect her to shoot at something so valuable.

"Did you back this up?"

"Oh, no no, Gibbs. Come on. My whole life is in that thing! Gibbs come on."

"Then don't shoot it," he repeated her earlier words.

"If we screw this up I have a suggestion."

"What?"

"We break into Gibbs' basement and set his boat in fire," she said seriously.

"That's cold, Kate." Tony hated the idea of his and his dad's beloved in a pile of ashes. _The Diane_

"You do realize that he's only trying to make you the best you can be so that you can protect yourself and you teammates if you find yourself under fire."

"Says the guy who doesn't have most valued possession on the line."

"It would be kinda illegal for him to do that." Kate gave Jeremy a confused look, not realizing that his most valued possession was his daughter. "Besides, I'm just the psychologist." Kate rolled her eyes at the overused response.

While they were talking Jethro had to take a call. They got a case involving a crank call from a guy claiming that he was a dead Marine who wasn't actually dead. He had Tony and Kate line up to shoot again before they left.

* * *

Tony was not happy. He just had to purposely shoot his favorite cap just to keep Kate from complaining about her PDA more than she already was. He loved his cap but he wasn't making a big deal over it. It was replaceable.

Plus it made a great gift for Abby, with the single shot precisely in the middle of the letters.

Tuesday December 23, 2003

The trip to Colombia had put a hold on some of their Christmas traditions. They didn't even have a chance to do any shopping while they were abroad. Jethro hated last minute shopping, especially for the kids. He liked getting them something special each year. And despite the lateness of the shopping season Jethro went Christmas shopping for his 'grandchildren'.... dragging Tony along with him.

It hadn't even snowed yet, which greatly disappointed Abby since she loved Tony's (it was really Shannon's recipe though she didn't' know that) hot chocolate. She had readily accepted the family tradition as her own since it rarely snowed, if ever, back home in Louisiana. The Alligators would never tolerate such a climate change.

Wednesday December 24, 2003

Kate was thrilled that she was able to go home for Christmas this year. When she was in the Secret Service she didn't know whether or not she'll be working until the last minute. By the time she learned if she was, it was too late to purchase a ticket home. It had been years since he had been home for the holidays and she was going to make the most of it. That meant not thinking about her co-workers back in DC and the possibility that they were going to be alone. She was in Indiana to have fun. Nothing was going to stop that from happening.

She was also going to keep her mind off from gem smugglers and shooting suspects.

A/N If anyone wants to see a specific episode please let me know and I will try to write it in. I just ask that you don't request the obvious ones, _Enigma, __Bête Noire,__ Missing, _etc... This isn't an attempt to get more reviews, though those are always appreciated. Though ideas of what you guys want will be even more appreciated.

I hope you all had a nice Singles Awareness Day... I mean Valentines Day.

Plus, my French is a little rough. Let me know if I got it right.


	28. January 2004

CBS and Paramount Pictures own NCIS.

You're to Blame

**You are to blame for anything that is good in my heart. You are to blame for this change that has taken me by storm. - Mercy Me**

SPOILERS: Dialogue from _Left for Dead, _minor _Eye Spy._

Chapter Twenty-eight – January 2004

Monday January 5, 2003

Being buried alive is one of humanities greatest fears. Layer upon layer of dirt weighing you down, filling your lungs, suffocating you. Escape seems impossible. Digging with your bare hands make you thankful for the adrenaline that is rushing through your veins because you know that if it wasn't you would blackout from exhaustion and never wake up. So you push yourself, using energy you know you don't have. You push yourself to survive because that's all that matters.

Jeremy wanted to warn Kate that bonding with a victim was a bad idea. However, that was a lesson that she had to learn on her own. He could give her hints to keep her distance but the woman was stubborn as Jethro on his worst days.

There is nothing wrong with being sympathetic, the woman with no name needed that. He also had no problem with being friendly. But Kate was putting herself in the danger zone where the line between personal and professional blurred. Working with family made it easier to keep the two separate... most of the time.

He understood why Jethro sent him and Kate. He loved the, he really did, but compared to him, Jethro and Tony were notoriously bad at dealing with upset women. That mainly had to with not being people who actually talked about their feelings. His being on the team made it so that they didn't have to go to someone outside their little family for psych evaluations, making sure the family secret stayed within the family. Morrow knew that he could be impartial. He had to rely on them to keep him a Kristy safe and his wasn't going put his daughter at risk if he thought they were about to fly off the handle.

Jeremy could already see that Kate couldn't be impartial... not on this case. Because of that he had to decide what would be safest for the team. To take Kate off the case and keep her away from their victim or let her stay on and potentially allow her to get hurt either emotionally or physically. Against his better judgment, Jeremy chose the later.

He only hoped that wouldn't eventually regret that choice.

* * *

Jethro had a bad feeling about this case and that feeling only grew stronger when he snapped his cell closed after talking to Kate about their victim. It left him feeling unsettled. He knew the risks involved with getting too close too a victim. With one was bound to be double the disaster since they didn't actually know who she was. Telling Tony that Kate was bonding was his way of telling him that he should keep an eye on her. But Kate had to make her own mistakes just like he did. Except for when Mike Franks told him not to bond with a victim he had listened.

But Kate wasn't going to listen to him on this one. She would think that he was cold and uncaring. Perhaps she would be right about that but it was for everyone's benefit. Distancing yourself from a case makes so that you don't emotionally invest yourself too much.

He refocused his attention back on the case. He could worry about Kate later. When he found a key it was time for them to get back to the office. It was unlikely that they would find anything else from this century. He really had no use for arrow heads and shark teeth.

* * *

"I suppose you want me to find out what chastity belt this opens," joked Abby.

"Do I look like Tony?" Jethro's words were a little harsh but he knew that Tony hadn't looked at a woman other than to harmlessly flirt since Kader.

"Not funny, Dad. Besides I don't need to know how to open a chastity belt. "

"Did you ever see one? Mine's awesome. It's eighteenth century French," bragged Abby.

"You have a chastity belt. Mind lending it to Jeremy?" Kristy probably would hate it but Jeremy would do anything to make sure that his fifteen-year-old daughter stayed a little girl for as long as possible.

"So much information than I need to know about Abby, and not enough about this key." Shook the mental image of his forensic scientist owning something that was meant to ensure a girl's purity. He also chose to ignore Tony's comment about Kristina. She was his eldest grandchild he didn't want to hear that she was actually turning into a young woman. The girl looked much younger than her age... unless she was wearing that horrible make-up that she insisted that she needed.

"The key opens a magnetized lock. Instead of serrations, magnets repel magnetized pins."

"Hotel room?"

"Possibly. But it could be any high security lock. There's no logos or serial numbers. But a magnetic code is like a fingerprint. So it'll lead me back to whatever system made the code on the key."

"Hospital called. The rape kit's negative. Anything on her prints or clothing?" said Kate as she entered the room.

"Nothing on the fingerprints yet, but the gas chromatograph should be giving me something on her clothes soon."

"Hey, how was your interview?"

"It's sad, Gibbs. She's trying so hard. She desperately wants to help."

That wasn't what he wanted to know. "I'm glad. But did she remember anything?"

Kate smiled. "She did. She thinks that she's been fingerprinted before.

"Terrorist," guessed Tony.

"And she remembers praying in church. She's not the terrorist type, Tony." Kate gave him a glare.

"Oh, so you're thinking more Emma Thompson than Angelina Jolie?" mocked Tony.

Before they could argue more Abby's gas chromatograph beeped with results.... results that meant that their Jane Doe either used ' low-carb sweetener, wears polyester, puts her own anti-freeze in her car and has a heart condition' or was making high grade explosives.

* * *

Guts were churning when they learned that Kate was willing to let their Jane Doe stay at her apartment. She didn't even know the woman and yet they knew that she probably wouldn't do the same for Tony... someone he should trust more than anyone. Kate 'knew' that the woman most likely was a bomb maker since she remembered what the title was in German. She even lied to a doctor, telling him that their Jane Doe had remembered her name which was actually her cousin's. Gibbs warned her that could cause trouble but she refused to listen.

Tony finding the letters engraved in the key wasn't that much of a surprise. He had the best eyesight of anyone Jethro had ever met. It was the reason why he always (reluctantly) allowed Tony to do all the reading out in the field. Though the fact that he still brags that his vision was 20/10 was more that a little annoying.

And once again he learned more about Abby than he wanted to know. He really didn't want to hear about how she photocopied her butt. In this case, less information was better because that dealt a side of Abby, someone close to Kelly's age, that he didn't need to know about. That was saying something when you're an investigator.

The list of hotels in the area that used MagSecure keys came fairly quickly. Fortunately for them there were only three hotels that used them. Unfortunately, Tony and Jethro recognized the number for the Jackson which was only one that had permanent residents.

"Isn't that where...."

"Don't go there Tony," growled Jethro.

"Permission to sit this one out?" Abby could hear that begging that was in Tony's voice. "We can send Jeremy instead."

"Oh, Jeremy is coming alight But so are you."

"What's so bad about the Jackson? asked Abby.

"The Jackson is fine. Actually if it weren't for one of it's residents I wouldn't mind living there myself."

"One of my ex-girlfriends lives there." Jethro involuntarily shuddered. Other than the red hair he had no idea what he saw in the woman. He ushered Tony out before anymore questions could be asked.

Finding the body of the possible suspect was a bit of a surprise. But having Kate call him moments after so that she could tell him that Jane Doe knew him was a bit more surprising. Jethro wasn't a big fan of surprises.

It wasn't hard to win the case from Metro. The detective had no problem with it as long as the ME didn't. And with Ducky on their team, with better equipment, they couldn't lose. The Metro lab was backed up in any case and Ducky only worked with a few other teams and they didn't always have work for him.

There wasn't much for Jeremy to do at the crime scene. So he happily observed those around him. In a way he was a little amused by how Ducky reacted that it was in fact the Kennedy bust that was the murder weapon. There were dozens of blunt objects in the room and it just had to be the gaudiest of them that had to be what they were looking for.

* * *

Jeremy was getting frustrated that Kate wasn't letting him talk to their victim. In fact, he wasn't allowed anywhere near her. According to Kate, 'the poor thing was fragile enough' and 'didn't need to be psychoanalyzed by an overzealous shrink'.

Instead of letting him do his job Kate was taking her out for dinner. Dinner! Jeremy could understand why Kate took her to the shop but a restaurant was dangerous for someone who was supposed to be dead... especially when that person had no memory. She wouldn't recognize a possible assailant until it was too late and even then only if she had one of her infrequent flashbacks.

It would have been much safer, and convenient, if Jane Doe had been brought to NCIS. It would have been just as easy to feed her at the office as at a restaurant.

Tuesday January 6, 2004

While they still didn't have a name for Jane Doe, they have proof that she had been in the dead guy's, Walter Richter, apartment. Her fingerprint was found on Richter's desk.

Ducky didn't have much but he did confirm that the victim had been dead well before Jane Doe had been found buried alive. What he did find didn't bring them any closer to finding a bomb... or so he thought.

"Ah, but it is, Boss. Background on Richter. He was head of Security for a German firm, BFF. What is with the Germans and the alphabet thing? BMW, BMG, BASF. And they're all B's."

"I'm resisting the urge to say 'cut the B.S.'"

"BFF stands for Bombe Fermentdeckung Fabrik."

"Tell me That bombe means the same in German as it does in English."

"Ja mein Kapitän. BFF makes bomb detecting devices for the US Navy."

"Yeah."

Stephen Brauer was finally the one to tell them, Tony and Jethro because Jeremy had to stay at the office to try to talk to get Kate away from their victim, who their Jane Doe was, Suzanne McNeil. It was her job to create. He didn't kill Walter Richter, Brauer was at least being honest about something. However, Jethro wasn't sure if he had nothing to do with Suzanne being buried alive. He was far too surprised when Tony told him that she was still alive.

He had sent Suzanne's personnel file to headquarters so that the woman could read it. Jethro wasn't sure if that would do them any good or help Suzanne get he memory back but it was worth a try.

* * *

Being able to speak German was a plus, even if Tony was a little rusty. Other than teaching Kristy, he hadn't spoken the language fluently since he lived in the country. But he was proficient enough that he could understand that something wasn't going to plan. Good thing he never told Brauer that he knew, basically, what he was telling his subordinates.

"I'll be with you in a moment," said Brauer, annoyed.

"You see, you told that to my boss a half hour ago. Look at the expression on his face. Not good. Make this one a quickie."

"Ich weiss..." Tony patted the man's shoulder and went back to where Jethro was standing.

"Tony..."

"Sorry, Boss. This guy's Webster's definition of a micro-manager. People need his permission to take a whiz."

"I could have gone for coffee. What'd you pick up? Anything?

"You want that in English or German first. Because what I heard in German was more than a little flattering." Jethro smacked the back of Tony's head. It had been a few weeks since the last time that happened. "From the little English I heard, the new 'Bombe Snuffler' isn't snuffling so good. Brauer's worried it won't pass the Navy acceptance trials on Thursday."

"Test? On a Navy ship?"

"If I heard there were going to be tests on a Navy ship, do you think we'd still be standing here, Boss?"

"Where is this test taking place?"

"In some lab here. From the German side of things it seems as though they have some kind of mock up of a Navy ship somewhere around here." Tony shut up then because Brauer finally decided to give them a portion of his oh so valuable time. He still didn't want the CEO to know that he spoke German.

"I apologize for the delay, Agent Gibbs. What would you to see first?" He had a fake smile plastered on his face. Tony, being the expert that he was, saw right through it. Jethro turned to the younger man and nodded that he also saw it.

"The lab where you're conducting the Navy test of Thursday," Jethro said bluntly. Brauer didn't know that he knew about it and his smile fell slightly.

"Why do you want to go there?"

"Your Security of Security is dead. NCIS is tasked with protecting Navy brass."

"You think terrorists killed him?"

"These days I look for terrorists behind most everything." Jethro really didn't believe that terrorists were involved but any accuse to get what he wanted had to be used.

"Of course. Ja. This way, please."

* * *

Today was not Jeremy's favorite day. Kate hadn't left Suzanne's side for more than a few minutes. That wasn't nearly enough time for him to talk to her... to assess whether or not she was mentally stable and if she was a danger to herself and others. He was glad that Suzanne had the chance to relearned who she was but they were going about it the wrong way. Suzanne's words that all the 'good ones' were married sent up flares that something wasn't quiet right.

No one was letting him so his job. If he couldn't speak to her the least he could have been allowed to do was go with Jethro and Tony to BFF. He had spoken briefly with Tony. What he told Jeremy about Brauer was very alarming and he asked Tony if he knew whether Brauer was having an affair with Suzanne. Tony was positive if they were but suspected that it was fact. Jethro had asked the same thing of Brauer but didn't get a straight answer.

Tony and Jethro were taking a tour of the facilities and were being shown just what Suzanne was capable of doing. Jeremy felt like he wasn't accomplishing anything and that had to change...

...to bad Kate and Suzanne seemed to have disappeared.

Tony called again and told him everything that he learned about BFF and Suzanne. Suzanne didn't like to lose and would do anything to win. If they were right about Brauer, something very bad could happen. He didn't know how long ago that they left but there was no telling what could happen in the time that it took for him to get to BFF

Jethro wasn't surprised when Kate suddenly arrived at BFF. Though he wasn't too happy that he left her alone in her office when someone, most likely Brauer, wanted her dead. Brauer didn't know that she didn't remember anything.

They couldn't do anything when Brauer asked to speak to her alone. It would raise suspicions to both parties that they thought that something hinky was going on... especially since they didn't know what it could be. All Jethro and Tony knew was that Brauer was guilty and Suzanne was hiding something from them. They just had to prove it.

None of them could hear what they were talking about and Jethro was having trouble reading their lips. There was little point in even trying since he could only see the one of them.

It was while the two of then were talking that Kate realized something. "She said someone bashed the poor man's head in. How did she know that Richter's head was bashed in? I couldn't see his wound. Nobody told her how he died. She remembered." Kate paled at the implications. Suzanne killed Richter.

Only moments later Brauer was shouting frantically in German. "Sie hat eine bombe!" Tony was first to understand. Kate was the second. Suzanne had a bomb.

"Suzanne! Don't!" There was almost a plead in Kate's voice.

"Sorry, Kate."

A huge explosion enveloped them all as Suzanne dropped her bomb.

* * *

Paramedics and other emergency personnel were swarming the area when Jeremy finally arrived. He had to use his badge more than a few times to get access to the blown building. Even then he was only allowed so close. It was too dangerous in case the building decided to collapse.

Jeremy was mostly worried about Tony. The last time he was trapped in a building was the Pentagon and he was very nearly killed that day. He could only guess what was going through his mind... the panic he must have been feeling. Tony hadn't been comfortable in dark spaces since then. He wouldn't let Kate know that he was scared of the dark but he would do anything to get somewhere brightly lit.

He should have been here. He was always there for his family. There was no reason for him to have been basically taken off the case. It was mostly Kate's fault but if Jethro had ordered her to let him talk to Suzanne none of this would have happened. Jeremy snorted. If he had taken Kate off the case none of this would have happened. He could have gotten his access to the woman that way.

Jeremy knew that it was his fault. It wasn't even Kate's fault. They just didn't have all the facts until it was too late... he just hoped that it was the kind of 'too late' that ended in the death of those he cared about. He would survive. Kristina was too important not to. But he would never be the same again.

* * *

Kate didn't know how long she had been unconscious. She didn't know how she ended up twenty feet from where she had been standing. All she knew was that she was in pain and she wanted it to go away. Her arm was the worst. She looked at it and noticed that it was burned. That confused her because she couldn't remember how it got burned.

Then she took in her surroundings and everything came back to her and felt shame. It was her fault that Suzanne and Brauer were dead. She trusted the wrong person. She trusted a killer.

* * *

Tony's entire body ached. But that may have had something to do with the full grown man crushing him and much as the explosion he was just in. He rolled Jethro off from him, concerned when he heard the older man groaned at the movement.

It didn't take Tony long to realize that his dad was trying to protect him from the blast. Jethro probably would have done the same for Kate but she was closer to Suzanne that he couldn't.

Tony's head ached the most but otherwise he would say that he was fine. He didn't count the multitude of bruises that likely littered his body. Those was far too common in his line of work. Tony gently shook Jethro's shoulder to make he was the same.

"Dad?" Tony whispered softly enough that no one else would hear him but loudly enough to get his attention. "Dad, are you OK?"

Jethro groaned again but opened his eyes. "I'm fine, Kid. Where's Kate?"

"I don't know. I just woke up. Though, I have to tell you, you have to lose some weight. You probably bruised a few of my ribs crushing me like that." Jethro's glare could be seen through the dark. "Shutting up now and finding Agent Todd."

"Help me up. That explosion did a number on my knee." Although Tony was shocked that Jethro admitted that he was hurting, he did as he was told. The man must have in a lot of pain to actually say something about it. Tony knew Jethro's knee still pained him often since Kuwait but this was the first time he needed help because of it. "I don't want you wandering on your own. You'll likely get yourself killed if you did."

"Thanks for the endorsement, Dad."

The two men hobbled off looking for Kate. They fortunately didn't have to look very far. The woman sat against a crumbled wall with her arms warped her knees. Tony called her name. She looked up but didn't say anything. She simply stood up and followed Tony and Jethro. Hopefully they would fine a way out.

* * *

By the time Jeremy finally saw them Tony and Jethro had already been treated and Kate was having her arm bandaged. But what really shook him to his core was the fact that they were separated. Kate was so completely withdrawn that the emotional pain in her eyes was obvious even from a distance. She needed someone or they might end up losing her to herself.

He gave Jethro a pointed look. "I know talking isn't your thing but Kate really needs you right now."

Jethro only nodded and limped over to her. No one really knew what he said to her but whatever it was brought Kate out of her depression. He apparently didn't even have to say much because a few minutes after the paramedic was done with her.

Jeremy knew that they would survive this. The case just showed all them that they had to communicate with each other better.

Tuesday January 13, 2004

It was during the middle of a case that Tony and Jeremy met up with Tim McGee again. They needed his his finding a phone number of the person who witnessed a murder. It was a bit of a surprise that it was a kid CIA geek with a very powerful satellite camera but it wasn't their oddest case. It fact it was almost normal.

Tony learned that McGee was still sometimes seeing Abby. It was a little upsetting that Abby didn't say anything about it but Jeremy had a good point... he probably have mad McGee's life miserable. Tony didn't exactly have a problem with making other miserable but he knew Abby would never forgive him if he scared McGee away. That was another trait that Kelly would have ended up with.

It occasionally still hurt thinking about his baby sister and seeing how much Abby was like her didn't help. He knew that Abby helped heal some of his dad's wounds but he also felt the same hurt he felt while looking at the young woman.

A/N I did make a few minor mistakes in the last chapter, including mentioning Suzanne McNeil in the final segment. That was fixed the day after I first posted this. I also corrected the French I used. Thanks to those that told me that it was too litteral.

Thanks for all the reviews. I've gotten far more than I thought I would have for this story. Though it would be very much appreciated if I could get another 15 for this chapter. 300 is a nice round number, don't you think? I don't even care what chapter you review.

I'm still asking you guys what episodes you want to see.


	29. Feburary 2004 pt 1

CBS and Paramount Pictures own NCIS.

You're to Blame

**You are to blame for anything that is good in my heart. You are to blame for this change that has taken me by storm. - Mercy Me**

SPOILERS: _My Other Left Foot, _and_ One Shot, One Kill. _

I am so sorry that I didn't post last weekend. I had just got a new computer on Sunday but couldn't get an internet connection until Monday. After that it turned out that the computer was a piece of junk since it took well over 40 minutes to boot up. I finally was able to set up a new computer on Saturday. So this will be an especially long chapter with the rewrite of not just one episode but two. Hope that excuses this from being so late.

Chapter Twenty-nine– February 2004 part one

Sunday February 1, 2004

It was one of those rare weekends off. A day that's set aside just so that you can relax and enjoy the peace and quite that was often just a dream. And because of that it was the perfect day to stay home and work on the boat. Tony and Jethro didn't get a lot time to do that, working maybe a few hours on it during the week... less when they had a case.

But it was their time together. A chance to just be father and son without anyone trying to figure them out. Though they could always switch back into their roles of boss and subordinate at a moments notice when someone from NCIS (this didn't include Abby and Jeremy since they knew the secret) stopped by. That wasn't that often but it was good that they could do it without anyone suspecting anything odd going on. It wasn't that unusual to find a member of team going to the leads house to work....

Tony mostly watched Jethro as he sanded the ribs of the boat smooth. The way the older man moved with the wood had impressed Tony for as long as he had known about this little hobby. All Tony could do was copy the movements; he would never be as sure of himself as Jethro was when it came woodwork.

Now he had the unpleasant task of telling Jethro that he had a date for that night. Only reason he hadn't said anything before was the simple fact that he didn't want anyone to do a background check on the woman. He hadn't even said anything to Jeremy about it since he knew that he would blab to his dad... resulting in a rather painful head-slap for not saying anything. However, Tony wasn't going to let one little incident with NSA control his life. He had to trust that it was a one time thing, although no one at NSA was dumb enough to use Tony like that again. It was the other 70 plus agencies they had to worry about.

It was clear that Jethro wasn't about to agree that was true. He _did_ have a say in his son's personal life because whatever Tony did affected the entire family.

Tony wanted to keep somethings to himself for at least a little while. Having someone picking through any potential girlfriend's past would destroy any illusion that he even had a private life outside his family. He needed that more than anything.

But Tony couldn't exactly lie about going on a date. Jethro would find out eventually. So Tony made a compromise with himself, give Dad the bare minimum. It that didn't work... well Tony didn't know what he would do.

"I have to get going. I have a date in a few hours."

Jethro glared at him. "Why am I just hearing about this now?"

"I don't have to tell you everything."

"The hell you don't! I have to protect this family and I can't do that if you go chasing everything in a skirt. You can't jeopardize everything that we've worked for because of your hormones." Jethro knew that he was being unfair but he just wanted Tony to be safe.

Tony huffed angrily. "No one is going to be in danger. Emma isn't like Kader."

"You don't know anything about this woman!"

"Yes, I do. For one, she isn't stalking me. I think I would know since I've had plenty of them to know the signs."

"Let me decide if she's a threat or not."

"You know what, I'm going to go. I'll see you at work tomorrow." Tony stormed upstairs and slammed the front door so hard that Jethro could hear it from the basement. He felt as though he had just been slapped. It hurt that his dad didn't trust him. It hurt more than everything that his biological father had tossed his way. Considering that the bastard tried to kill him, that was saying something.

He only hoped that he would be able to keep his focus on his date and not the fight he had with his dad.

Monday, February 2, 2004

The date with Emma was bad. Tony couldn't keep his focus on the woman and kept accidentally ignoring her. Emma wasn't usually high maintenance but on the first date she expected her date's attention to be on her.

It probably didn't help that when she asked what was wrong that he wouldn't tell her.... not that he could.

So Tony went back to his usual methods to keep attention away from himself, he deflected onto Kate. Fortunately she had a date as well the night before. He bit his tongue at the injustice that Kate wasn't questioned each time she met someone new.

"Hey, how was your date last night?"

"How did you know I had a date last night?"

"You talk very loud when you're on the phone. I've been meaning to say something."

"You mean you eavesdropped." She could feel her temper rising.

"Actually Kate," said Jeremy, "Tony has really good hearing. He's telling the truth that he probably just overheard you. Besides, even I can sometimes hear you when you're planning a date." It was true she did have the tendency to brag when she's going out.

"So, how was your date?" Tony repeated his question.

"He had to cancel."

The two men smirked. "What excuse did he give?"

"Surgery."

"Hey, that's a good one! I've got to remember that. What was wrong with him." Jeremy snickered at the younger man's antics. Tony probably wasn't going to use the excuse because he wouldn't stand a girl up unless it was for a case. He just liked making Kate think that he was a playboy even though he really wasn't.

"He didn't have surgery, Tony, he performed it."

It was perfect timing, it really was, that Abby should choose that moment to come up stairs for one of her random visits. She didn't come to the bullpen that often so her coming now was great for lifting Tony's spirit. Especially the words that came out her mouth.

"Hey, how was your big date last night?"

With that Kate stormed off the get some work done.

"What'd I say?" asked Abby. She was confused by her friend's behavior.

"Date never happened."

"Oh. What excuse did he give?"

"Surgery," Jeremy answered for Tony.

"That's a good one!"

Just then Jethro interrupted, telling his team to grab their gear. Tony almost made a John Denver reference when he mentioned that they were going to West Virginia but thought better of it until the two of them were back on speaking terms outside of work. Though the fact that all they had to work with was a leg was more than intriguing.

* * *

Jethro didn't like talking to local cops. This one, Dawson, just gave him another reason to stay away from them as much as possible. The disrespect the man had for the Marine, even if it was only a leg, was appalling. What should it matter that the leg looked as though it was climbing the stairs? He was glad to be rid of him. However, he would have been happier that Dawson was gone if he had more news for him than that the local LEO's were looking for the remaining body parts and that they actually found some.

He gave Tony and Kate their orders, spoke to Ducky about the time of death (which he really couldn't give to him for the leg had no liver, but 24 hours seemed like a good guess). The only real clue that they had found a seed, though they had no idea what plant it could have come from. That was what Abby was good for... or Tony if he ever cared to get back into the forensic side of his job. Then he went to talk to the man that found the leg and Jeremy who was gently trying to get him to calm down slightly. They really couldn't get more than that he was looking for junk that people had thrown out.

As Tony was finishing up the sketches he started up a conversation with Kate. He may find the younger a little naive but she was a worthy opponent when she did know what she was talking about.

"I don't get the whole tattoo thing."

"I'll add that to the ever-growing list of things you don't get," came the expected scathing remark. She could be quite mean when she wanted.

"Being stuck with a needle thousands of times for a piece of artwork. No, thank you." He was one of the few people in his unit back in the Marines that didn't have one, that included the Pentagon, Germany, and Israel. Jethro didn't have one so he really didn't see the point. Now that he was NCIS, he was glad that he made that choice. Tattoos made undercover work so much more difficult since it makes a person easier to recognize.

"It's more than just artwork, Tony."

"On a woman, maybe." A comment like that was perfect to rile her up.

"What?"

"You know, on a woman? It means she's up for anything."

"Abby's got tattoos." She squared her shoulders, preparing for a strong argument.

Tony only chuckled. "No comment." He really didn't want to get into some of the things that Abby told him that she did. He didn't think that someone like Kate would be able to handle it. Abby was one of the wildest people he had ever met.

"Well, what about me? You think I'm up for anything?"

"You don't have a tat."

"And if I did that would just blow your theory to hell now, wouldn't it?"

"OK, say for a minute that I believe that you've got one. Where is it?

"Nowhere you will ever see."

* * *

Hours later and they still didn't have any identification on the leg. Abby managed to find a partial fingerprint using her Super Glue method. She was currently running it through the military database but that could take days to find a match.

What was even more frustrating was that there weren't any other body parts showing up. He was getting the feeling that they weren't going to find any in Clarksburg.

The only clue that she had was the seed. Jethro didn't have much hope that they would find anything from that.

A visit to Ducky was a little more promising. He found a titanium ankle joint meaning that since it had a serial number on it, it would that much easier to track down who it belonged to.

However, it was a little concerning that with all his experience as an ME and a doctor before that, that Ducky couldn't tell the difference between a right and left foot.

* * *

It was while Kate was on the phone looking for who received the ankle joint, that Jeremy was introduced to the fact that Kate might have a tattoo. He was used to Tony changing the topic from the case but this was unusual for even Tony.

"Is it on your butt?

"I told you, I was kidding.

"What's on her butt?"

They answered at the same time. "Nothing." "Kate's tattoo."

"You have a tat on your butt. Didn't think you had it in you."

"I don't have a tattoo."

"It's a butterfly, isn't it? You seem like a butterfly kind of girl."

"Yeah, it's a butterfly," she said sarcastically. "On my hip."

They went back to work. It turned out that the ankle joint was from Bethesda. That was fortunate for them because it meant that they (or rather Jethro) could talk to the doctor, Brent Peters, in person.

But before Kate could talk to him Tony had one more thing to say. "It's not a butterfly, is it?"

* * *

On the plus side of finding Dr. Peters, they were able to find out who received the ankle joint, Private First Class Thomas Dorn. The downside was learning that Dorn was supposed to have died two years previous.

Jethro called ahead and had him pull up PFC Dorn's service record. He had a heart attack at twenty-two in the sweet little town of Harmony, West Virginia. The death certificate was signed by Dr. Silvia Chalmers. However, there wasn't an autopsy. That was what made everything hinky, as Abby would say. He was going to get that body to Ducky. It didn't matter that it was two years since Dorn's death.

* * *

Harmony was exactly what the two agents and psychologist thought it would be like. Kate called in a slice of Americana. Jeremy could understand why she would say that. He could also see why Tony would hate a place as small as Harmony. Tony would easily become bored in a place like this. _He _would be bored in Harmony. It was just too quiet and everyone knew your business.

* * *

Meanwhile Abby found a piece of regular basic straw on Dorn's sock. That didn't make up for the fact that she didn't have a match on the print that was found on the leg. She then led him down to her lab where she had the history of the seed set up on her computer.

"Our seed matured and fell in late fall. It comes from a monoecious yellow flower. Not too showy The male and female appearing in March to April in separate spherical hems. The leaf is palmately veined, it's four to eight inches wide, ovate in shape and has three to five lobes.

Abby, are we ever going to get to the tree?"

"Platanus occidentalis. Or more commonly known a..."

"A sycamore tree."

"I'm afraid so."

"Pretty much grow everywhere, don't they?"

So Abby basically told him they still weren't any closer to catching Dorn's killer.

* * *

Dr. Silvia Chalmers was a sweet little old lady that was more naïve than what was healthy. She allowed a 'sister' to talk her out of doing an autopsy on who she believed to be Thomas Dorn. What was worse was that the 'sister' had 'Dorn' cremated. It wasn't Dr. Chalmers fault but they now had to try and figure out who actually died in her office and why the 'sister' claimed the dead guy was Thomas Dorn.

Jeremy almost felt sorry for her. Dr. Chalmers didn't seem to have anyone other than her patients. Now she was being forced out she was completely on her own.

Then Tony brought up the tattoo... again. While Jeremy agreed that Kate having a tattoo was a little unexpected, he couldn't understand why Tony kept bringing it up. This time he guessed that it was a heart. Kate, frustrated, told him that it was a rose on her butt. Jeremy suspected that it was a lie but he didn't call her on it. He wanted to be with the topic nearly as much as she did.

None of them were looking forward to telling Jethro what they didn't find.

Tuesday February 3, 2004

Abby was able to tell him that it was digitalis, a type of heart medication, that killed Dorn. If given a overdose of the medication it could give someone a heart attack. That lead Jethro to believe that it was likely the same thing that killed the Marine two years ago in Dr. Chalmers office. There was no way that it could have been a coincidence.

Now all he had to do was find out where the digitalis came from. Talking to Melissa Dorn was one way to find them.

Jethro ordered Tony to stay behind to find information on Melissa Dorn. Tony really didn't like this. It meant that more time was passing before he could get a chance to talk to him about the night before. Tony needed Jethro to understand that he had to live his own life... despite all of the risks.

It wasn't long before Jethro got to Melissa Dorn's house with Kate and Jeremy.

"Watch her body language," he ordered the both of them.

"What are we looking for, short of a confession?" asked Kate.

"Sometimes it's not what they say, it's what they don't say." It was something that Kate should have known with all of her profiler training.

"Which translates into, we don't have a search warrant and this is the easiest way in." She almost didn't notice that Jethro had stopped. "What's wrong?"

"You know what kind of tree this is?"

Jeremy didn't give her a chance to answer. "It's a sycamore. They're pretty common."

"Yeah." Jethro took a final glance at the tree and went toward the house.

* * *

Kate wasn't sure what to make of her boss' behavior toward Melissa Dorn. He was actively flirting with her. There had to be something unethical about that since she was a suspect in a murder case. She wasn't getting any cues from Jeremy either. In fact, his face was blank other that a light smile and a hint of amusement in his eyes. She could understand the smile but not the amusement. It wasn't as though it was funny that the older man was flirting with someone at least ten years younger that he was. Kate made the decision to talk to tony about it later. He did seem to know Gibbs the best.

She did a quick search around the house for anything that could give them probable cause but came up with nothing. The closest she came with was the barn in the back. Since the straw was the common type it wasn't enough. Though Kate was a little surprised when he said that he might. It drove her crazy to think that Jeremy knew what he was talking about.

When they got back he had Abby do a DNA test on the sycamore that was out of Melissa Dorn's house and compare it with the seed that was found with Thomas Dorn's leg. He didn't like that it would take six hours but he would take that what he could get.

Jethro went back upstairs to find what Tony had for him. He knew that Tony was bitter that he had to stay behind but he had a reason behind it... he was still mad that he didn't follow his orders.

"Six letter word for a 'reason to commit a crime'? Come on, don't tense up. Starts with 'M'."

Kate rolled her eyes. Once again she felt as though she was doing all of the work. "Murder."

"No. Motive."

"Murder is a motive."

Sick of the conversation, Jethro interrupted. "What do you have?"

"Six letter word for 'reason to commit a crime'."

"Anthony."

Tony cringed. Jethro never called him 'Anthony'. He still made a joke of it. Neither one of them wanted or needed Kate or Jeremy to guess that something wasn't right between the two of them.

"That's seven letters."

"Works for me. What do you got?"

He told Jethro about the insurance policy that Dorn had for three quarters of a million dollars. The only beneficiary was his half-sister, Melissa. He and Kate were then sent out to talk to Stanley Borden at Rexford Mutual in Baltimore.

It gave Kate the chance to talk to Tony about Gibbs and his reaction to Melissa.

"You should have seen Gibbs with Melissa."

"He threaten to shoot her?" That wasn't all that much of jumping to conclusion. He had seen it happen.

"No, just the opposite. He was flirting with her. I didn't think he had it in him."

"OK, you can stop right there. I don't want to hear about the boss' potential love interests. I have met a few of them and the all were redheads and none of the relationships had a good ending." He nearly shudder in the memory of Ginger. His mom was probably the only normal redhead that he met.

"Melissa is a redhead."

That caught Tony's attention. "Explains it."

"Well so is that woman who picks him up now and then. Who is she?"

"Not a clue," he lied. He didn't have a name for the mysterious redhead but had had briefly met her once. It was a very awkward meeting but she seemed nice enough.

"So he could really be attracted to Melissa?"

"You can't control who you're attracted to. The whole Julia Roberts/Lyle Lovett thing proves that. Billy Joel/Christie Brinkley."

"I get it."

"Angelina Jolie and Billy Bob Thornton..."

"You haven't answered my question."

" ...That guy from the – if you're asking me whether the Boss would get involved with a murder suspect, the answer is no."

"Three redheaded ex-girlfriends shows his judgment is a little questionable."

"None of them were murder suspects." He thought for a moment. "Although I don't know about the redhead who picks him up now and then."

The meeting with Stanley Borden was enlightening to say the least. He didn't want to pay the claim but it was much cheaper to pay it than have her sue them for millions. There was no way for them to prove that it was a scam... though he welcomed them to try. They were going to do just that.

Wednesday February 4, 2004

The case was really bothering him. He was already had six cups of coffee and it wasn't even noon. Not even talking to Ducky helped him solve this one. Though Ducky did give him the idea to talk to Dorn's former CO. He might give him a clue who the first body was.

* * *

Abby was confused. Somewhere along the line she made a mistake with the samples and the seed. One of them matched while the other didn't.

* * *

Dorn's old CO, Gunnery Sergeant Vesta who was testing how fast a tire on a LAV Twenty-five, had a lot to say about PFC Dorn among other things... such as that he remembered Jethro from Lejeune because he put him in the brig.

He said that Dorn was a user, thought that he Overdosed on coke, and that was what caused the heart attack. Vesta didn't need to know that it was digitalis. He also said that there was one guy that he was close with, Corporal Morgan and that Morgan went missing at the same time everyone thought that Dorn died.

* * *

Abby was now more than confused.... she was upset. The samples were supposed to match. They had to match or science would be wrong and science can never be wrong. Making sure that science was right was her life.

"Hey, what's wrong?" He didn't like it when Abby was upset, especially since this time it was likely his fault.

"Look at it."

"It looks like a match."

"Precisely." She was nearly crying that somehow something went wrong.

"Good work, Abby."

"No it's not! You gave me two samples from the same tree. 'B' matched and 'A' didn't. I screwed up!"

"Sycamore 'A' was from a tree down the street."

"What?!" Abby was wanted to punch his shoulder but he allowed him to explain first.

"The idea of matching plant DNA was a bit hinky for me."

"Oh ye of little faith."

"Abby, come on. All I did was give you a blind test."

"Well, you could have done that by not telling me which sample came from the suspect's sycamore."

"I didn't think of that."

"Oh!"

"This puts Dorn at Melissa's house. Do you know what that means?" She gave his a wide smile. He was happy to see the spark back in her eyes. "You've got probable cause."

* * *

It wasn't long before the team, minus Jeremy, was back at Melissa Dorn's house. They had their warrant and were more that ready to execute it. Tony was sent to the barn and Kate was told to search the house. Melissa tried to protest at first but she knew that she couldn't do anything to stop them, especially since they knew that it was Corporal Morgan who was cremated two years ago.

"This has to be the cleanest barn ever. If she uses a service, I've got to have that number." said Tony as he went about his search.

Melissa claimed that she couldn't have killed 'Tommy' because she loved him. However, more often than not, people are killed by someone the thought loved them.

The marks on concrete floor were hard to see but Tony found them. They matched the shape of where a human's limbs would be if you cut them off at the joints and the where neck would have been. He tested the areas around the nicks for blood and got what he expected.

He went back to the house where Kate was bagging up a glass that had Melissa's fingerprints. He was telling Jethro what he found when he heard something from upstairs. He pulled out his gun.

"What?"

"There's someone else."

Kate asked Melissa who else was there while the other two went to see who it was. But Tony wasn't paying her any mind. Actually, he was a little angry with her that she missed that someone else was in the house. She was supposed to search it.

The person was found in the bedroom. "Boss, I'd like you to meet Dr. Sylvia Chalmers, who loves Estee Lauder." They brought her back to the living room. The elderly doctor's presence shocked Kate to no end.

"Dr. Chalmers!"

"Good afternoon, Agent Todd!"

"You were in on it!"

"In on what, my dear?" The woman's use of an endearment sickened her.

"They know, Momma.

"Momma?" said Tony and Kate at the same time in shock.

"They didn't know I was your momma 'till you told them, dear. I know I should have told you all back in Harmony, but the mother in me had to protect my only child. It was wrong, I know that. But her wicked half-brother intimidated her into defrauding an insurance company when his friend had a heart attack."

"Brought on by an overdose of digitalis," said Jethro as though it was fact.

"Well what in the world would make you think that? Couldn't be from a forensic test. Melissa had his body cremated." The sweet tone that Dr. Chalmers was getting on everyone's nerves.

"Hey, notice how it's all you, Melissa?

"A Marine has a heart attack in my office. Melissa identifies him as her half-brother… who I've never met. Now how am I involved?"

"Mother!"

"Melissa. You defrauded an insurance company. I'm afraid you're going to have to take your punishment for that…and only that."

"Boy, oh boy, you are good. But so are we. We found your digitalis in Thomas Dorn's leg."

"My digitalis?! Every doctor and hospital in this country uses digitalis."

"Each order has its own chemical marker. How else would a manufacturer recall a specific batch in a quality control problem?"

"You shouldn't have done it, Mamma."

"Calm yourself, Melissa. Just calm yourself. They can only prove that you defrauded an insurance company."

"No, Mamma. They can prove everything. They know you killed him with digitalis. They know you cut up Tommy into little pieces and they know you threw him away in the garbage―" Dr. Chalmers unexpectedly smacked Melissa. Her face instantly turned red.

"Stop!" she shouted. "She's just hysterical. You can't use any of this in court."

"She was read her rights. She waived them. We can use it all. We will."

"You little fool. They couldn't prove anything."

"I don't care anymore, Mama. I loved Tommy and you murdered him," she was sobbing at this point.

It was the end of the day and the team except for Jethro plus Abby were in the bullpen. Pieces of Dorn's body were finally showing up. All they needed now were the head and left leg. They were talking about Hooterville and drinking games when he finally arrived.

"We've got Humpty Dumpty back together?"

"Most of him."

"Melon and left leg are still outstanding." Tony told him.

"Any more tattoos?

"Just the rose on Kate's butt."

"It's not a rose."

There was a long pause as everyone looked at him wondering how he knew that. "He doesn't know. He's lying just like he did about the digitalis. Okay, tell them. Gibbs?"

Saturday February 7, 2004

Tony wasn't sure why it took him so long to come back to his dad's house. For the past two and a half years there hasn't been a week that he had gone over there at least twice a week when they didn't have a case to work on. But now he felt as though he was intruding.

He went straight down to the basement since there was no point in thinking that he would be anywhere else unless he was in the bathroom.

His tools were put away. Tony couldn't remember the last time that happened... not that he left his hand sander lying around. He just usually left them on the work bench where he could easily reach them. He didn't say anything but went right to work. After a while he sat the sander back on the bench and began to talk.

"I just wanted to be normal for a little while." Jethro had nothing to say to that. "I wanted to be able to go out on a date and not worry about anything. I wanted to be Tony Gibbs. But I can't do that. It doesn't count with Jeremy and the others because that's only for a few hours at most. Is it so wrong that I want to be me?"

"Do you want off my team?" Jethro hated that he had to ask.

"No, god no. Maybe.... I don't know. I want to be me." Tony let out a sigh. "Give me some time to think about this. Can you give me a month?"

"I'll give you all the time that you need, son."

Wednesday February 10, 2004

Jethro hated it when Marines were killed... especially when those Marines were gunnery sergeants.... especially when it seemed as though the death was pointless. The position that Gunnery Sergeant Alvarez was currently in was far less than dignified. And no matter what Ducky said, it wasn't any consolation that his death was almost instantaneous. Alvarez was still dead. He blocked out Ducky's latest rant that seemed to go on forever. They had work to do after all.

"Tony, where's my bullet?"

"Hopefully in this box or the wall behind it." He took out his knife, ever following rule nine.

"What've you got, Kate?"

"Well, the kids can't tell us much except for where Alvarez was sitting when he was popped. Several people reported hearing a gunshot around thirteen hundred, but no eyewitnesses. It might be gang-related. Alvarez had a couple of run-ins with the locals. Last month they threw a cinder block through the window here."

"Well, if it was gang-bangers, they're packing serious heat," said Tony. "It went straight through the sheet rock into what looks like some kind of toy warehouse."

"You two better get moving," Jethro said pointedly to his two agents. "Don't come back without my bullet."

Kate and Tony went next door, a doll warehouse. That's where they met Carl the assistant warehouse manager who watched way too much TV. Carl had heard of NCIS but only remembered them because they had failed to solve a case. Not really a shining moment for them. Luckily he allowed them to search for the bullet and to trace its trajectory. All the while annoying them to no end about Court TV. It was a sacrifice that they were forced to accept.

However, it seemed as though the bullet had disappeared, which was impossible. As it turned out, there was a load of dolls waiting to be shipped out. Tony asked Carl to redirect the load to NCIS. It likely had their bullet in it.

* * *

Jeremy hung around the recruiting center with Jethro. There wasn't much for him to do after talking to anyone who might have known something. No, right now his main concern was his boss. He hadn't been acting right the past few days. He had even turned down an invite to watch movies with Sam, Alex, and the kids. He always came over for family night.

Plus this case was bound to be hard for him. He was a Gunny before he left the corps so they tended to touch him harder than the other cases. There was too great of a chance that he was going to take this a little to personal and that was dangerous.

He helped him and the Major with the filed complaints that Alvarez kept. They hoped that at least one of them would lead them to their murderer. He would have Kate go through all of them since she wasn't willing to go anywhere near the dolls. Jeremy could help her. It was a job for a profiler after all.

* * *

Tony went down to Abby's lab and was greeted by the most disturbing sight.

"Is there a reason you pulled all their heads off, Abby?"

"It's so we know that we've checked them."

"Yeah, but the one with the round in it was sitting practically on top. You emptied the entire box." He never liked delving into Abby's mind. Jeremy didn't like it either and it was his job.

"Well, it was kind of fun." He could sorta understand that but that didn't make him any less disturbed.

"And they're naked?"

"Shh! I am about to perform my first autopsy." Tony winced a little as Abby sliced open the doll that was the 'victim'.

She grinned in sadistic triumph as she called Gerald.

"Does Ducky know you do that?" asked Jethro as he entered.

"Hey Gibbs. I was just about to run this through the ballistics lab."

"Good, because when you're done, I want to see that mock-up of the trajectory on the computer."

"Then I'm gone."

"Why are all these dolls naked?"

"Don't look at me, Boss. Must be a goth thing."

* * *

It didn't take Abby too long to discover that it wasn't a pistol that killed the Gunny. But other than that it was near impossible to tell what it could have been other than it was a rifle. There were far too many of them to even make an educated guess. So Jethro to her to start with what it couldn't be.

"Well, I know it's not an AK forty seven. There's lots of those floating around D.C. The groovings all wrong. Without knowing the exact make of the rifle, I'm going on guess work, but I think it explains why there's no eyewitnesses. Every rifle has a certain range where they experience maximum penetration power. It has to do with the ammo load, the length of the barrel, and the rifling. We know our round went through a Marine, ricocheted off an office chair, through a box, a sheet rock wall, and ended up in our doll's head. There's no way that shot came from just outside the window or even across the street. The shooter was long range. Really long range."

"Our shooter is a sniper."

Kate and Jeremy were left behind this time with their Chinese since they still had a stack of paperwork to go through from Alvarez's complaint file. Kate hated that she was the one that was being told to stay. She could understand why Jeremy wasn't invited, he wasn't a field _agent_. She belonged out with Gibbs and Tony actually doing something. There was only so much that she could find looking at a bunch of paper. Well, no reason to complain when there's nothing she can do about it.

* * *

"It's a nice neighborhood. A couple of coats of paint, maybe a bulldozer.

"You're looking at the reason Alvarez made quota every month."

"Actually, I think I'm looking at vomit."

"He was trying to give these kids a real chance to get out of here. The problem is that some of them were too young or ignorant to realize it."

"I know Dad. But you got to admit that he had a unique approach.

It wasn't easy to get in even with the key. He had to give it an extra shove to get to the door open.

"Hey, Tony. Kind of reminds me of your apartment back in Ohio. Except for the minty fresh urine smell."

"You know that place wasn't my choice. Director wouldn't let me pay for my own place while undercover but wasn't willing to pay for something nicer. Thought that I would want reimbursement."

"Have you been thinking about whether you're staying on the team?"

"Can we talk about that later? And, yeah I have been." He looked around the room. "Oh, this doesn't make any sense. Are you sure this is the wall facing the recruiting station?"

"Yeah. Northeast."

"Abby's trajectory's got to be wrong. How could a guy fire from here? There isn't even a window."

"I don't know. That's what we're going to find out. Let's get busy."

"Minty fresh urine smell."

They went over every inch of the apartment and found nothing. Tony was ready to quit when Jethro finally found something. A single brick as removed from the entire wall and that scared the both of them.

Thursday February 11, 2004

Jeremy and Kate's report the next morning was exactly what Jethro wanted to hear, even tough he wasn't sure what he wanted to hear in the first place. Most of the letters in the file weren't complaints but rather thank you notes. And while quite a few of them genuine complaints, only two stood out. One guy was dead and

"This one is our best bet. Sergeant Aaron Barnes. He claims that Alvarez told him that if he signed up for a six year hitch, he'd qualify for the Marine Enlisted Commissioning Program. It turns out Barnes' high school GPA wasn't high enough to qualify for MECP. And when he found that out, he wanted to break his contract."

"That's not going to happen,"said Tony and Jethro together. Kate shot them an odd look but didn't say anything about it.

"Yeah. And when that got shot down, he fired off a personal letter to Alvarez, promising to look the Gunny up again when his contract was up."

"That's not exactly a death threat."

"Well his contract's up this year. But here's the kicker. Two years ago he was selected for sniper school and he was so good that they brought him back as an instructor. He's there now."

* * *

Jethro didn't not like it when Barnes thought that it was a good idea to lie to him about doing PT with Stenson. He didn't care, at the moment, what he was doing as long as he had answers. He wasn't getting them if he was being lied to.

Now he had to figure out what the truth really was.

* * *

Another Marine recruiter was killed. Barnes was in custody but that doesn't mean he wasn't involved. Kate was right, for once, that snipers liked to use spotters.

It was just their luck that the FBI decided to get involved. They will never learn that when the victims are Marines that means that it is NCIS's jurisdiction. It didn't matter that the murders cross state lines. They were feds just as much as any of the other _federal_ agencies. It didn't help their cause when Director Morrow went behind the team's back and agreed to hand over the case.

The only good thing was that they, not the FBI had a vital piece of evidence... a white feather.

"Hathcock."

"Who's Hathcock?"

"Carlos Hathcock. A Marine sniper legend. Thirty nine confirmed kills in Vietnam."

"What's that got to do with pigeon feathers?"

"It's not a pigeon feather. Look. Shaft's too small."

"Okay. That white bird feather."

"The V.C. nicknamed Hathcock after a small white feather he kept in the band of his hat."

"History Channel?" guessed Kate

"His biography."

"You read his biography?"

"I watched his biography on _The Biography Channel_." Actually it was both but she didn't need to know that. Jeremy read it as well.

"So do you think it's somehow connected to the shooter?" asked Kate.

"Don't know. If we find another one of these that matches it in Gunnery Sergeant Alvarez's office..."

"We'll strip search the roaches, boss," joked Tony halfheartedly

"You realize what this means, if it is some kind of a calling card?"

"Yeah. It means he likes to meet the recruiter before he kills them."

While Tony and Kate were looking for the the feather(which they later found in the ventilation shaft), Jethro and Jeremy were with Abby. This time the shooter shot from a vehicle. None of the surrounding buildings made any sense. It was nice having a trajectory expert on the team but sometimes the information just wasn't what anyone wants to hear. It was bad enough that they were dealing with some super-sniper, they didn't need him to be more mobile than he already was.

When they were done talking to Abby, Jethro went back to talking to Barnes to find out why he was lying. Two men were dead and if he didn't want anything to do with being implicated, he had better start talking.

He found that he didn't care that Barnes had been cheating on his wife. Sure it was one of the most despicable things a man could do to his wife short of actually killing her, but he had a murderer to find and his lying had cost them valuable time and the life of another Marine.

The first theory was that the shooter was already a Marine. With the clue of the white feather as a calling card, Kate didn't think that the shooter was military. He might have been former military but that didn't fully fit the profile they had of him. It was Jethro (though Jeremy was thinking it) who said that they were dealing with a wannabe.

There was a little problem with trying to hunt down a wannabe Marine. Thousands of people were refused entrance each year and there was noway that they would find him even with the entire NCIS staff at Navy Yard looking for him. They had the let him come to them. Jethro decided that he was going undercover and was taking most of his team with him.

Friday February 12, 2004

"Welcome to the Marines, Kate," said Jethro as they got ready for the op.

"Kate's gonna be your CO?"

"That's the plan."

"I didn't realize Kate knew so much about being a Marine." No matter how much he tried to hide it, there was a hint of jealousy in his voice.

"Kate doesn't know squat about being in the Marines. She doesn't have to."

"I won't be interacting with the recruits, Tony. I'll just be there to focus on how they interact with Gibbs. One of them might be our sniper."

"You're not the only one around here who knows how to profile." He was actually a better profiler than she was.

"Maybe. But with that haircut, you wouldn't pass for a ROTC student." Sure he had let his hair grow a little shaggy but he would still pass regulations.

"I was actually talking about Jeremy. He his the team's psychologist."

"Jeremy isn't a field agent."

"That shouldn't matter since he won't be interacting."

"The vest is going to hardly even show underneath this. You need your ribbons. What do we hear back from the FBI?"

"Besides Agent Freeman's extreme dislike for you? Uh… they'll cooperate, but he's not too keen on the visible part."

"Our shooter isn't a moron. If he doesn't see police and FBI presence in the neighborhood, he's going to think something's wrong."

"I have a problem with that part too, Boss. What's the point of setting a trap if he knows about it?"

"Part of a sniper's mission is to infiltrate enemy territory. Our guy wants to prove himself, validate his skills. He's not going to pass up an opportunity like this."

"What if he succeeds?"

"He won't."

"Don't take this the wrong way, but… you actually make that look good."

"Thanks. Have you tried yours on yet?"

"Tried what?" He wasn't told that he had a part in the op. He was supposed to stay with the FBI.

"Gibbs said you'd be in uniform too."

"He did?"

"Mm-hmm."

* * *

It really wasn't fair. There was no reason for Jethro to force Tony into dressing like one of The Village People... especially when his dad got to wear Dress Blue Charlies. He could have pulled off being an officer even with the slightly shaggy hair. It wasn't that long. What made it all worse was the fact that the rest of the team, including Jeremy, was teasing him. He really did not want to hear another macho man joke.

This was the hard part, the waiting. Talking too much was a bad since it could get distracting. Ten kids already had gone through that morning but none of them screamed sniper. But there one thing that Tony wanted to know that was more important that finding the shooter.

"Just tell me that he's still wearing his vest."

Kate hesitated for a moment. "He said that his was visible under his shirt."

Tony exploded. "I knew it. If that sniper doesn't kill him I will. What a stupid, thing."

The later it got the more impatient the FBI got. They were ready to call it a day but Tony ordered to stay. They still had a half an hour and with the number of people that were flowing through it would look suspicious if the shut down early.

Kate and Jethro were thinking along the same lines as the FBI agent. Kate was saying that they would have to work as recruiters for one more day, when a nervous looking kid came in as well as a water delivery guy. Kate signed for the water and watched the kid at the same time. She really thought that this was there guy. As soon as the office was empty Kate gave him the suspects stats.

But she were wrong.

"Forget the kid, Tony! The sniper is the water delivery guy! I repeat! The sniper is―" Then there was a shot that hit the middle glass, aiming right where Jethro was sitting.

The sound of the shot of was pick up by the mics and Abby went straight to work to get the location of where he had taken his shot. Tony took off to where she said the shot came from

"The building has an alley in the back. It's the most likely exit from where he's positioned,"Abby told Tony.

"I'm on it!"

It didn't take long for Tony to catch up to the killer and had him under control. And it wasn't much longer than that, that the FBI had him turn over custody.

"Hey." said Jethro as he and Kate arrived.

"We got our guy. The FBI is taking the credit, of course."

"Kate, where is your cover?"

"What?"

Tony rolled his eyes at her and turned to Jethro. "You were with her all day, didn't you teach her anything?" Tony joked with him.

"I told her to wear her cover outside. Not my fault that she didn't listen," he joked back.

* * *

The shooter was a twenty-two-year-old named Kyle Hendricks. He failed the personality profile assessment because he had sociopathic tendencies. His one goal was to become a Marine sniper.

* * *

Dinner that night for the three men and Kristy was at Jethro's house. Morrow had given them the rest of the day off as soon as they completed their paperwork.... meaning they got off an hour early.

"So, Tony, you want to tell me what's going on?" asked Jeremy as he nursed a beer. "You haven't been acting yourself for the past few weeks."

"I'm thinking about leaving NCIS... permanently......"

**February 2004 TBC.......**

A/N I did write this as fast as I could since setting up my new computer on Saturday. The only reason that this chapter is this long is because I really an sorry for not posting last week and then being a day late this week. I will be posting again on Sunday, finishing February 2004. Next chapter will include 'The Good Samaritan' and 'Enigma'.


	30. Feburary 2004 pt 2

CBS and Paramount Pictures own NCIS.

You're to Blame

**You are to blame for anything that is good in my heart. You are to blame for this change that has taken me by storm. - Mercy Me**

SPOILERS: _The Good Samaritan _and _Enigma._

Chapter Thirty – February 2004

**From the last chapter** Friday February 12, 2004

"So, Tony, you want to tell me what's going on?" asked Jeremy as he nursed a beer. "You haven't been acting yourself for the past few weeks."

"I'm thinking about leaving NCIS... permanently......"

**Continued..... **Friday February 12, 2004

The whole house was silent at the announcement. They all knew that NCIS was Tony's life. He had been born to be an investigator and now he was throwing in all away. The other two men could not understand why he would do such a thing.

"Look, I don't want to talk about it. This is my decision."

Jethro didn't agree. "I decide who's on my team and you, young man, are on my team until I say that you aren't."

Tony sighed. "It doesn't work that way. Please, can we change the subject? 'Cause I want to know what you were thinking when you decided that it was a good idea to take off or vest earlier." Jethro only glared at him. "I thought not but it was worth a shot. I mean, why wouldn't I want to know why you intentionally put yourself in danger."

"I wasn't in any danger. That glass was bulletproof!" He didn't know why he was explaining himself.

"It may have been a while since I've taken a forensics class but even I know that there isn't any such thing as bulletproof glass. It's only bullet-resistant."

"Stop trying to keep the subject off from you. You are staying on my team and that's final!"

"Then prove to me that you still trust me."

"What?" The words stung. "Tony, there is no one that I trust more than you. If I didn't trust you there's no way I would put the safety of the family and the team in your hands."

"Then show me. Let me have a personal life. No questions asked, no background checks, no interference. Can you do that? Can you let me date without interfering?"

Jethro didn't give him an answer.

Monday February 16, 2004

It was always fun for Tony to listen in on Kate's conversations. This time is was with Human Resources about who her emergency contact was going to be. It appeared that they wanted somebody that live closer to DC than Miami... which was a little difficult for her to find. So Tony, heroically in his opinion, offered his services. He couldn't understand why they were unwanted. Jeremy on the other hand knew perfectly well why she didn't want Tony to be her emergency contact.

It wasn't like there was anyone else.

"I'll do it," offered Jeremy as Abby wandered off muttering about Libras.

"Yeah, Jeremy here has been responsible since 1989." Tony patted his friends shoulder. "Besides, the Boss already EC for the two of us. He doesn't really need the added stress of adding a third person to that ever-growing list."

"Wait, Gibbs is your emergency contact? And what do you mean that Jeremy has been responsible since '89. That doesn't make any sense."

"Yeah, he is. It's not as though we have anyone else."

"And Jeremy being responsible?"

"Go ahead Tony, you can tell her. I'm surprised that you managed to keep my personal life secret for so long as it is."

"But it really should be you that tells her."

"Will one of you tell me whats going on?"

"He has a kid. She's fifteen." Jethro walked in carrying two cups of coffee. Kate questioned it, hoping Jethro didn't hear her.

"I don't know, and I don't want to know. That much caffeine this early is a bad thing for us." He should know because he had lived through many of his caffeine induced frenzies. However, they often are caused by a woman he's been seeing. The one after Ginger still gave him nightmares.

It only got worse when they were called in for a case.

* * *

Watching the sheriff flirting with his dad was disturbing and amusing at the same time. It was even more amusing that Jethro wasn't giving into Charlie's advancements. That was shown when he refused to call her by her first name.

It wasn't that much of a surprise that Jethro offered to share jurisdiction. However, that usually meant that NCIS did all the work while Sheriff Charlie Dupray got the credit. Tony had the feeling that wasn't going to be the case this time... at least in part.

"I saw a car with its trunk up so I pulled over. Didn't know I'd be rolling into a crime scene. What's that cologne you're wearing?"

"Not wearing any."

Charlie sniff her own wrist. "Oh, that's me. Now perfume. You like?"

Jethro ignored the last attempt at flirting. Instead he asked for a tow truck that he could borrow to take the car back to NCIS so that Abby could take a look at it.

"Don't say it, Tony."

Tony was suppressing a laugh. "I wasn't going to say anything.

"Don't think it." Jethro wanted nothing more than to wipe that smirk off his son's face.

"Too late."

It didn't help that Charlie pestered him for the number to his cell phone.

* * *

Jethro and Jeremy's meeting with Commander Julius' CO didn't bring him any closer to finding his killer. Julius was exactly what he appeared to be, a dentist who loved his job. He wasn't 'one of the boys' according to Green but she couldn't think of any reason why someone would want him dead.

Tony and Kate's search of Julius' apartment gave them something interesting, a rather large collection of lunchboxes. It was a possible motive but they had to find out if there was anyone out there who would kill over a lunchboxes. It was soon disproved when Tony checked Julius' E-bay account and found that no one had a problem with him since his feedback rating was 100%.

It was that night, a few hours after they got back from Oceana that there was a request from Charlie for a video conference with Jethro (he had turned off his phone in order to avoid her). It was planned to happen the next day. It was the only time that MTAC would be available.

Tuesday February 17, 2004

Charlie told them that there was another murder two counties from Grayson County. It was nearly identical to Commander Julius'. David Truly wasn't exactly Navy but he did work for them as a civilian employee at Oceana. She suspected that there was a serial killer.

No one liked the idea of that. They didn't know how the killer was choosing his targets. Jethro gave Tony and Kate their orders, hoping that he would find anything on who killed the two men.

* * *

The autopsy was what they were expecting, a single gunshot to the back. Though the bullet used was rather nasty since is was a nine millimeter hallow point. Even if there was a ambulance on standby there was no way that he would have made it to the hospital on time to save his life. He would have lost far too much blood before a doctor could be of any use. Ducky did find one thing that he found to be interesting, a powder that he suspected that was likely to be cornstarch because it was used in latex gloves.

The evidence that Abby gave Jethro proved that the murder wasn't a crime of opportunity. The tire had nothing wrong with it and cornstarch was found on trunk's lock. This only gave more credit to Ducky's theory that the murderer was likely wearing gloves.

It turned out to be a mistake of Jethro's to turn off his cell. Charlie decided that since she couldn't call him she would just come to headquarters herself.

"Ah, Charlie. I almost didn't recognize you." There was a sparkle in Tony's eyes.

"Like getting out of that uniform. Evidence from the other murder. Special delivery."

"Wow!" exclaimed Kate. "We never get this kind of cooperation!" She didn't understand that Charlie was cooperating because it was an election year. It would look better of the sheriff if she was seen being nice to NCIS in looking for a killer.

"It's not a problem. Where's Jethro?"

"Right here." He was only slightly amused to see her in his bullpen.

"Surprised to see me?"

"Oh, yeah. Yeah. Surprised is one word that does come to mind." His words were dry.

"Case files and photos from the Halifax County murder.

"I appreciate that."

Charlie invited herself to have dinner with Jethro. It was the least that he could after doing all that work, including creating a profile of the killer. Not giving into her flirtations he took her to the cafeteria to get rid of her as soon as he could.

Tony was (sorta) glad that Jethro had gone off to eat with Charlie. It gave him a chance to talk to Jeremy and get his thoughts on the woman. They could multitask with the best of them and annoying Kate was a bonus.

"She's seems harmless but she's also a politician. I think that she'll try to pull one over on us in the end."

"Come on, Jeremy. You seen how she is with Gibbs. I think that Charlie might genuinely like him." Kate glared at her teammates as she opened another useless file of photos. They were nearly the same as the ones she took of Commander Julius.

"There is no such thing as an honest politician. I won't say that they are all crooked but they never tell the whole truth."

"She's a sheriff. Charlie just wants to keep Grayson County safe. It's not like she's running for mayor or something like that."

Tony chuckled at her naivety. Kate has to learn somehow and if she refuses to believe them then that's her problem not his and Jeremy's. Even sheriffs will do anything to guarantee that they are in office for the next term.

"Trust me on this one Katie, Sheriff Dupray wants just one thing from the boss and that's to use him to get the credit for solving a major homicide case." He turned back to Jeremy. "Though I still want a full psychoanalytic report on her. Can't be too careful."

Kate would have sworn that he heard Jeremy 'cough' hypocrite.

Through it all they did find a very important piece of evidence, whoever it was left behind some DNA at the Site of David Truly's murder, a nice patch of urine.

Wednesday February 18, 2004

A third body turned up, a Lieutenant James Seeger. He too worked at Oceana. At first glance it looked identical to the other two murders but this one was slightly different.

"Sure looks like the work of out guy."

"Well, I beg to differ, Kate. This young man was killed between two and three yesterday afternoon. The body has double lividity. The blood settles twice."

"He was killed someplace else and dumped here," Jethro explained it to her.

"Precisely."

"Copycat?"

"Well, the details have all been in the press. They match in almost every respect. It's nearly impossible to come to any other conclusion."

"That means we have two killers on the loose."

But the multiple killer theory didn't sit well with Jethro or Jeremy. They were thinking nearly the same thing but the result was the same.... they believed that they were looking for a woman. Men and women had different styles of killing. Men were hands-on, strangulation or stabbing, while women hands-off, like shooting the victim in the back. Women also tended to be more careful about leaving behind evidence. But a female serial killer was rare and unlikely. Though right now it seemed to be their only option.

* * *

None of what they found made sense. They had two prime suspects. One, Laura Seeger, was on tape at the time of the murder. There was no evidence that they were tampered with. However, Laura Seeger's DNA was unquestionable at the crime scene of David Truly's murder. But with her on tape, Haitian priest or no Haitian priest, she had a alibi. The other, Margaret Green who just happened to be victim number two's CO _and_ Laura Seeger's doctor, was in Washington for a medical conference. Hundreds of people attend those things, so any number of people could have seen her. And they did. But She also had access to Laura's urine.

Both Women had motive for killing Lieutenant Seeger but not any of the other men other than to hide the motive. Laura and Lieutenant Seeger were going through a nasty divorce. However in the event of his death before the last of the paperwork was filled, Laura would inherit enough from her husband's Swiss Army Knife inheritance that she would never have to work another day in her life. Though on the other hand there was the fact that Lieutenant Seeger had a sexual harassment claim against Commander Green. That could be interpreted as a motive because not only would it end her career as in the Navy, but she would also lose her medical license.

In the end it was Arlene down in records that solved the mystery.

* * *

"Special Agent Gibbs, this is OnStar. The vehicle you are tracking is parked on Owl Creek Bridge."

"Roger. You copy that, Charlie?

"Owl Creek Bridge. Copy," she answered efficiently.

Then Tony's voice soon followed Charlie's. "Hey boss, we made our pickup. Let's hope we get there before someone else does.

It was Jethro that caught up with Laura's twin first. He didn't really care that the credit was going to someone else. He was just glad that he was able to catch the bitch before anyone Linda killed again.

Thursday February 19, 2004

All that was left to do was the paperwork and then they would be free for a long weekend. They all felt as they deserved it after that case.

"I just can't imagine killing someone for your sister. I would never kill for my sister." Kate was putting the finishing touches on her report.

"Yeah, you barley return her calls," quipped Tony.

"Identical twins, identical DNA, identical murders. One for the books." Jethro was happiest that this case was over with. It could have been over with much sooner if they had known about the twin.

"Actually, I found this one to be refreshing. For such an odd case, this was quite normal compared to what we usually have to work with. None of nearly died this time."

The other two men nodded in agreement at Jeremy's since they were the two that usually got into the situations that could possibly result in death.

"I'll bet Laura was splitting Swiss Arm Knife money with Linda, that's why Linda killed her sister's husband." Jeremy was right. It was nice to work a murder when the motive was money.

Just then Charlie appeared on the TV. She began by thanking the citizens of Grayson County. Tony gave Kate an 'I told you so' look.

Friday February 20, 2004

Tony had seen Michelle several times while running through the park. His path often crossed paths with hers. That day, since he didn't have to work, he took the chance to talk and scheduled at date for the following night and Sunday.

He told his dad of his plans for the weekend. Jethro didn't like it but resisted the urge to go into the office to do a background check on the woman. There was noway that he was going to let Tony continue to think that he didn't trust him. It was other people that he didn't trust.

Tuesday February 24, 2004

Jeremy wasn't sure what to make of Tony's attitude that morning. He kept banging his head against his desk and didn't give anyone a clue as to why. When he asked what was wrong, Tony gave him a glare and refused the say a word.

"I give up on dating," Tony suddenly announced.

"Since when." Kate couldn't understand why a 'playboy' like Tony would stop going after every woman that he sees.

"Oh, since I broke up with Michelle."

"The social worker?" Jeremy shook his head. Of course that would be the only detail that Kate would remember of Tony's latest girlfriend.

"Yeah, we had a little misunderstanding." Actually, there was no misunderstanding. The woman was just plain nuts.

"Like what?"

"Well, she was under the impression that we were in an exclusive relationship." They only had two dates and she was already talking about moving in with him. He knew that he had to get rid of her before she started talking about china patterns. Kate, however, didn't know that.

"Imagine that! So what happened?"

"She tried to break into my apartment. Security found her with several large bags of dog crap." Tony banged his head against his desk again.

"I heard that there was a incident yesterday. I didn't know that it involved you." Jeremy and Tony both got along well with the security. "What happened to her?"

"She had to spend the night locked up at Metro. I'm not pressing charges of anything." He turned to Kate. She had a huge smile on her face as though she believed that he got what he deserved. "I still have her number. Maybe you two could get together and boil rabbits or something."

"Not my style, Tony. I would just shoot you."

It was at those words that Jethro appeared. "And that would be the reason to rule number twelve."

"Rule twelve?"

"Never date a co-worker," Jeremy answered before Jethro could.

"Move it. The director wants to see us. Now!" The three of them followed him up to MTAC.

* * *

Tony and Jethro couldn't believe what they were hearing and seeing. Morrow was saying that the FBI was accusing Colonel Ryan, Jethro's former commanding officer, of treason. They both knew, in their guts, that it just wasn't possible. He would rather die than betray the country. To put him on the most wanted list was laughable.

Tony had never meet the man but he had heard enough stories about Colonel Ryan that he felt as though he knew him almost as well as Jethro. The older man trusted Colonel Ryan more than anyone in the Corps.

They would do anything to prove Colonel Ryan's innocence.

* * *

"He's kinda cute." Abby watched the clip that was sent to her from MTAC.

"So you're into older guys, Abby." Tony wasn't sure what he thought of that. Older men tend to use young girls.

"Sure. Dating older is a sign of maturity."

That made him curious. "Oh. What's the oldest you've gone?"

"Sixty five. My biology professor. You?"

"I've never really thought about it but none of my dates are that much older or younger than me. Though if you ask Kate, she'll tell you that I'm into college girls."

"What do you got, Abs?" asked Jethro as he walked in with a Caf-Pow for her. Jeremy was at his heals.

"This is from the airport surveillance video. It looks like Colonel Ryan is talking to someone, but I can't tell who."

"Pull all airport tapes that match our time frame."

"I'm already on it."

Jethro two the other two. "Tony?"

"What's left of Colonel Ryan's Hummer was shipped back to Camp Lejeune last week, I can have here tomorrow. His personal effects may take a bit longer."

"You forgot." Jethro gave him a knowing smile. "Jeremy."

"I'll stay here and help go through the tapes until you call me."

"Good job, Abby." He kissed her cheek before leaving.

"I just realized something," said Abby.

"That Dad never gives me any compliments."

"No. Maybe you should tell Kate the truth about the women that you date."

* * *

Kate took the time to update herself on Ryan's personnel records. What was in there was impressive. Tony, on the other hand, decided that once he had Colonel Ryan's personal effects en route to NCIS from Iraq that he would snoop around Jethro's desk.

"What do you think is in here?" he asked as he shook the box.

"Probably some part for his boat."

He knew for a fact that they weren't expecting anything for the boat. "I don't think that's it." She didn't need to know that he knew nearly as much as their boss when it came to the boat, now that he actually knew the design. "The postage is from overseas." He shook the box again just as Jethro came to stand behind him.... though Tony didn't know that he was standing right behind.

"Tony."

He turned around and gave him the package without a word. Saying something would only get him into more trouble.

"Ah, the Colonel's personal effects are en route from Iraq. They'll be here in forty-eight hour."

After Jethro ordered Tony to get Jeremy he told Kate to to check out a sedan hoping that he could find Ryan before the FBI. Before joining them he (after pulling on some gloves) opened the package. Inside was a flask and a note. MILLIONS BEING SMUGGLED OUT OFIRAQ. USED TO FUND COVERT OPERATIONS OUTSIDE MILITARY AND GOVERNMENT OVERSIGHT. I'LL CONTACT WHEN I KNOW MORE, was written on it.

* * *

Years had passed since Jethro thought about Ryan's cabin but he never forgot where it was. It was a nice place if kept up properly. At the moment however, it looked like a rundown shack.

He jumped into action the second that he saw that the door was shot open. He was glad to that his team followed his actions and Jeremy hung back behind the car when he saw them pull out their guns. Jethro kicked down the door and cleared the room before letting the other two agents in.

Tony went into the second room closely followed by Kate. It too was clear other than the dead body tied to a chair with a bullet lodged in his brain. The man had only been dead for a few hours at most. It looked bad for Colonel Ryan. Anyone would believe that it was him that killed him.

Kate suspected that Gibbs wasn't telling them everything. She asked Tony about it and had the feeling that Tony might know more than she did as well.

Because of the body they had to get Ducky and the MCRT vehicle to the cabin. During his call he 'asked' for a dog as well. He doubted that he was going to get one.

While on his cell he also looked around the cabin. He called Tony over when he saw the blood. He came to the same conclusions that he did, Ryan was wounded. It wasn't severe but it would likely slow his down a little. Kate missed one theory however, Ryan could have tied him up and someone else could have killed him.

Then they heard the beeping. Making a quick search, Jethro found a bomb under the bed. Forcing the younger agents in front of him, they ran out of the cabin.

Jethro was ready to head slap Tony. If he asked if he was sure that it was a bomb one more time he was positive that he would do it. He didn't care that the younger man was bored, they all were bored. Ducky's arrival was the only thing that saved Tony from the slap. However, it wasn't the time to listen to Ducky complain that it was Gerald's fault that they were late again... not that it ever was.

"We have our own problems here, Ducky."

"Yeah, I can see that. The FBI take over our crime scene again?" He looked at the four of them sitting on the ground, amused.

"Gibbs thought he saw a bomb." There was a certain tone of disbelief in her voice.

"What do mean 'thought'?"

"Do I really have to say it?" The whole time the other three men were thinking 'you better not go there'.

"Say what?"

"Yes, Kate. Say what?" Ducky was praying that she would stop talking. She was digging herself into a whole that would never get out of.

"You need glasses, Gibbs. Are you happy?"

No one was able to respond because to the huge explosion that sent debris (as well and Ducky and Gerald) to the ground.

"I'm sorry. I didn't quite catch that last part."

* * *

The body was burned to a crisp. Getting fingerprints or matching dental records was impossible. A DNA match was possible but it would take far longer than Jethro had the patients for. They didn't have ten days to wait for a match. Colonel Ryan had to be found immediately.

Tony and Jeremy remained quiet while Kate and Ducky talked about Colonel Ryan after Jethro left autopsy. They couldn't reveal that they knew more than they were letting on. It could cost them a whole lot more than just their careers.

Ducky was right when he said that Ryan's work was his life. He forgot to mention that he would protect his people before himself. At the moment, that didn't seem to be the case.

Jethro was frustrated. It was an emotion that he was familiar. That didn't mean that he liked it. He wasn't getting any answers, only more questions that didn't have answers. Things got worse when the Colonel called him and asked to meet with him. And worse still when Kate and Tony failed to remember what their victim looked like. Jeremy wasn't any help with that since he never even entered the cabin.

When he left he hated that he had to evade (lie to) Tony's questions. But he had to keep his team safe and to that they couldn't know what he was up to. He hoped that they (mostly Tony) understood that it didn't mean that he didn't trust them.

He arrived at the bar, getting rid of the two men following him, at went straight to were Ryan was sitting... alone. He didn't get any of the answers that he was looking for. Though he did learn that Ryan thought there was a conspiracy and that he was only one who could stop... along with this mysterious third person. Ryan, however, had no idea who was behind it all.

When he got back he didn't feel the least bit sorry that Abby spent the whole day going over useless tapes from the airport. He pissed that the FBI had lied to him in the first place. If the hadn't then none of this would have happened.

Wednesday February 25, 2004

"Do you think Colonel Ryan's innocent?" asked Kate. She, Tony, and Jeremy were alone in the bullpen.

"The boss seems to think so."

"The man disappears from a war zone with two million dollars. Ends up in the states under an assumed name. What's that tell you?"

"That he believes that someone is after him," Jeremy answered before Tony could. They had to be subtle and for Tony, that's impossible when he's defending his dad.

"What about the dead body we found in his cabin?" Jeremy successfully took her attention away from Tony... for a few seconds.

"Like I said, the boss thinks―"

"You don't always have to follow his lead, you know."

"He's never steered me wrong before now. I trust him and I think that it would do you some if you did as well." His own words gave Tony a lot to think about.

Jeremy gave Tony a proud smile. Kate should know by know that the famous Gibbs gut (both of them) is rarely wrong.

That was when the FBI, more specifically Fornell and his cronies, arrived with coffee and croissants. Tony and Jeremy refused both but Kate took the coffee. Then he demanded to see Gibbs. Jethro lead the FBI agent to the elevator after ordering his team to entertain their guests.

The 'talk' didn't last long because Fornell was just basically telling Jethro to keep clear of Ryan if he wanted stay out of prison. Jethro wouldn't have it and blamed everything on Fornell for letting it all happen to begin with. Then he had to let it drop that his agent was likely the dead body that was found at Colonel Ryan's cabin.

It didn't take Ducky long to confirm that it was Agent Carlson once he had the man's dental records. It also didn't take long for the FBI agents to accuse Ryan of murder. Jethro told Fornell that it wasn't Ryan that killed his man but with out any hard evidence he wasn't going to believe him. Jethro said that he would get the evidence anyway that he could.

"Your boss is playing a dangerous game,"said one of the agents.

"He doesn't play games." Tony was always the first to defend his boss like usual.

"Well neither do we. If I find Gibbs is helping Ryan, I'll have him charged as an accessory to murder. Let's go." Fornell motioned his agents to follow him.

"He's right. We have to do something."

"Like what? The boss obviously doesn't want us to know what's really going on. He's trying to protect us. I just can't see what we can do."

"He trying to keep you from being accessories yourselves. He's willing to risk his own life and reputation for a friend, but he's not going to risk yours." Tony already knew this but he could add family behind 'friend'.

"So what do we do, Ducky?" asked Kate.

"You let him know that he's not alone in his conviction."

* * *

The intervention went better that the four of them; Abby, Tony, Jeremy, and Kate, hoped for. By the end of it Jethro asked them for their help and Tony made a vow to never touch his dad's cell phone _**ever**_ again.

"This tape could prove that Colonel Ryan did not kill Fornell's agent. Do you think you can find out what's on that for me?"

"All you had to do was ask, Gibbs." Abby brightened that he wanted his help.

"Okay. Okay, I will try to remember that for next time."

Jethro got back into the elevator. "Tony, touch my cell phone again, I'll break your fingers."

"You know, he really does like you." Kate gave Tony a sympathetic smile.

* * *

As they watched the tape they noticed that there was something obviously wrong with Colonel Ryan. He acted like there was someone with him but there wasn't any other voices on the tape. The rest of end of the tape was too damaged to be of any use. He ordered Abby to keep working on it. He had to prove that Ryan wasn't the one who shot Carlson.

"Anyone catch a glimpse of the person he was talking to off camera?" Tony really hoped that it wasn't what he thought he heard.

"No, but he called him Lieutenant Cameron. Did you ever hear of him, Gibbs?"

"The Colonel and I used to work with a Lieutenant Cameron."

"It's impossible that it's him. I saw the letter you sent...." Tony cut himself off. He almost forgot that Kate and Abby were there. Neither of them knew about Shannon or the letters he sent to her. "Boss, Josh Cameron died fourteen years ago."

"I know that Tony." Only Tony and Jeremy saw the flash of pain going through his eyes.

"Was there anyone int the bar with him last night?" What Jeremy was really asking was 'did he seem to be confused'.

"Not that I could tell. Kate, run down every Cameron you can find in the Pentagon database."

"You got it."

"Abby, you and Tony transfer out the tape. I had a tough time following his line of questioning. Jeremy, go home. There isn't anything more that you can do here tonight."

"Where are you going?"

"Home. To think."

* * *

Jeremy didn't exactly follow orders. Though he could claim that when he was ordered to go home, Jethro did say who's home he had to go to. Besides, the house felt more like home than his apartment despite that was where he and Kristy had lived longer than anywhere else since she was a toddler.

He didn't know why he did it, but before he left his car he grabbed his gun out of his trunk. Tony was insistent that he kept one there in case of emergency. For once he was glad that he listened.

Voices were coming from the basement. Pulling the safety in the off position, he gingerly went down the stairs. He watched as Ryan revealed that he had the bullets from gun. That was when Jeremy came all the way down the stairs. He couldn't leave Jethro unprotected.

"NCIS!" Jeremy told the old man. "Give up Colonel Ryan and let us help you."

"No! How could you do this to me Gunny?! Cameron was right. I shouldn't have trusted you."

"Colonel, Cameron is dead," said Jethro. "He died in my arms, sir."

"That's not true. He's been helping me the whole time."

"Then, where is he?" Jeremy wanted to know. "Is he here because I haven't seen him and I searched the whole house." Not true but it worked when there was a possibility that the Colonel was delusional.

"He's right there." He pointed to left of Jeremy who was standing at the base of the staircase.

"No one is there Colonel Ryan. I know that it's hard to think about but you know that he died fourteen years ago. Let us take you back to NCIS so we talk about it."

There was a clatter as the metal bullets hit the cement floor of the basement. Ryan collapsed and Jethro held him in his arms. He was saying something but Jeremy couldn't understand what it was.

Neither of them did anything at first but they both know that they had to get Ryan to NCIS. They agreed that it could wait until morning. What the FBI didn't know couldn't hurt them.

Thursday February 26, 2004

Fornell was not happy with Jethro at the moment. He had brought in the prime suspect to an FBI murder and were now refusing to turn him over. It didn't matter that he was a Marine, the man could have killed one of his agents. He should have been his.

But no. Both directors felt as though he _owed _NCIS. He managed to get them to agree that NCIS had to hand him and all the evidence over after 24 hours. There was a chance that they wouldn't meet the deadline but he had to admit that Jethro's team was the best.

They did find out who was smuggling the money, a Charles Granger from the army, well before the 24 hours were up and that meant that they got the credit, leaving Fornell very unhappy.


	31. March 2004

CBS and Paramount Pictures own NCIS.

You're to Blame

You are to blame for anything that is good in my heart. You are to blame for this change that has taken me by storm. - Mercy Me

SPOILERS: _Bête Noir_

Chapter Thirty-one – March 2004

Monday March 1, 2004

Bête noir. Nightmare. Usually nightmares reach into the deepest parts of our souls and haunts us when we are at our most vulnerable, while we are sleeping. Creeping upon us when the realities of the world get to be too much and spill into the one place we should feel safe.

But sadly that isn't always the case. Sometimes the nightmare is our reality. During those times you can't simply wake up. These nightmares are the ones that must be faced because there is noway to escape.

When Ducky saw what was in the body bag he knew that he stumbled upon what could be the worst bête noir beyond his imagination.

Tuesday March 2, 2004

There was only five days left before Tony had to make the choice of whether or not he was staying at NCIS or not. The decision was already made but telling Jethro was the hard part. He really wasn't looking forward to it so he was waiting as long as possible before Tony told him what he was going to do. In fact, he was avoiding the topic and was staying far away from Jethro and Jeremy as he could. The later was nearly impossible since they still lived in the same building.

No. Having fun with Kate was much more appealing... even if that meant humiliating himself in front of her. Being in a closed space, such as the elevator made it easier to start a conversation.

"You never had a nightmare?" Nightmares had plagued Tony since he was a child. He knew about almost all of Jeremy's nightmares so he couldn't help but be a little curious about Kate.

"Uh uh."

"Not even as a kid?" _Or after Suzanne McNeil,_ thought both Tony and Jeremy.

"Nope." She sounded a bit smug. "No fear of the dark or a boogie man in my closet."

"Mine were about the kitchen." Kate was confused by that comment. "My bedroom was above it and the floors were a more than a little thin. Let's just say the the cook and maid did more than find new recipes in that room."

Tony shuddered at the memory. He remembered when he was eleven and Jeremy was just turning thirteen that they had walked in on the two. Unfortunately or fortunately, Tony had seen his biological father in the same position with various women in different states of undress.

"The vampire on the canopy of my bed freaked me out."

"You had a canopy bed?"

"I was five," Tony explained defensively. "My mother was into Louis the Fifteenth. It wasn't my call, Kate." The bed had actually stayed well past his childhood and so did the fear of canopy beds. He was more than thankful that Kelly never wanted a 'princess bed'.

"Does she still frighten you?"

"My mother?" The query interested Jeremy. He would have to ask Tony later about why he thought Kate meant his mother.

"The vampire."

They continued talking as they left the elevator. Tony continued on about his fear of vampires. He never told anyone about it other than Jeremy.

"What makes you think it was a 'she'?"

"Vampires are seducers. Knowing you, Tony, it had to be female." Both of the men thought that was a little harsh of Kate to say even if she did believe Tony was a womanizer. Though Tony decided to make a joke of it as usual.

"Well, she was after my blood, not the pride of my childhood."

"You were proud at five?"

Tony ignored her and continued his explanation. "She finished the story, tucked me in, blew out the candles. My mother thought that it enhanced the trompe l'oie il."

"Canopy beds, trompe l'oie il, flickering candles. No wonder your bête noir was a vampire." Tony and Jeremy could see the laughter in Kate's eyes.

"Bête noir. Cute."

"It goes with the Louis the Fifteenth bedroom. So... what would happen?"

This was the point where Kate didn't realize that she was going too far. Jeremy was actually surprised that the conversation even got to this point. Tony never spoke of his mother. If he did say anything about his family life he would say 'his mom' meaning Shannon and that was rarer than him talking about his biological mother. Kate hadn't learned that they were two different people yet and Jeremy doubted that she ever would.

Tony was glad when Jethro came back so that they could get back to work. He didn't want to go into more details of his childhood. He didn't want to reveal that when he got older he had more to fear than vampires.

The case was simple enough, track down a terrorist, Qassam, and try to find out what his target was in Norfolk. But they weren't getting anywhere with what they found at Qassam's apartment. The terrorist didn't even have a computer.

It was frustrating for Jethro that Kate had thought that Qassam could be an internet café. He should have thought of that. It was his job to look that things from every possible angle and he failed that because he failed to keep up with technology. Bête noir, indeed.

* * *

Ducky really hated speaking to Abby like he did. He hoped that she would understand that something was wrong since he wasn't acting like himself. For once he was almost glad that the young woman had developed a fear of autopsy. That gave her a reason to go to Jethro, the only other person that knew about the fear. Using 'STAT', something that Abby would surely repeat out of confusion, would get Jethro's attention. He just really hated hurting Abby.

The idle chatter that he forced to participate in wasn't helping calm his nerves. In fact, it was making it worse. He only hoped that Jethro would get down here soon. It was the only way that they would get out of this situation unscathed.

* * *

Abby was a little anxious that Gibbs wasn't in the bullpen when she got there. She didn't want to tell anyone else about her phobia. They would laugh at her and say that she was being silly. She didn't care that it was silly. She was terrified to go down there. Nothing was make her face her fear when she wasn't ready.... not even Ducky.

"Where's Gibbs?"

"With the Director. You okay?" It was obvious that Abby was freaked out by something.

"Where's Tony?"

"The head." Kate was starting to get worried. "What's wrong, Abby?"

Jeremy could see the girl was terrified. "Abs, is something going on?" He had bad feeling.

"Ducky needs all this evidence back in autopsy."

"Before you've tested it?"

That confused Jeremy. "Ducky had never asked for evidence back before. Jethro's always the one asked for further tests if you can't do it. Any idea what's going on."

"I don't know. All I know is that Ducky wants everything back and I can't do it."

"Why?"

"I had this dream like a month ago and ever since then autopsy scares the hell out of me." That caused Kate to chuckle a little. Jeremy on the other hand went deep into thought. "Why are laughing?"

"Sorry. Sorry. I was um... I was just thinking of Tony."

"Tony's afraid of autopsy too?" That didn't sound right to Abby because her Tony wasn't afraid of anything. Kate then told her about Tony's fear of vampires. She offered to go down to autopsy for her before calling Ducky. Kate though that it was odd that he called her Abby but he hung up before she could ask why he did that.

* * *

Jethro found Abby pacing in the squad room after his conference call with Bahrain and Gitmo. He was more than a little surprised to find her there since she was supposed to be in her lab going over Qassam's personal effects. She was muttering to herself and sounded more than freaked out about something. She only did that when she didn't know what else to do.

"Abby?"

"Yes?"

"What are you doing?"

"I was having an internal debate.

He decided to amuse her. "Hmm. Who's winning?"

"I'm not sure." She them changed her mind and chose to tell the truth. "Oh, hell. The phobic side."

"Still can't enter autopsy?"

"No." Abby was miserable because of that. Ducky was one of her closest friends.

Jethro didn't want to make her even more unhappy and began questioning her about she found out about the case.

"Did you find any tag traces of explosives on the terrorist's clothes?"

"Ducky took everything back before I had the chance to test it."

"What?"

"Don't look at me! He wouldn't say why. He just wanted everything back including the blood," she gave him a semi-defiant glare.

"Including the blood?" That was odd.

"Yeah, it was a bit weird. There's not to do a blood test in autopsy."

"Did Gerald pick it up?"

She shook her head. "Gerald was busy. Ducky just wanted me down there's STAT."

Just as Ducky predicted, Jethro reacted to the acronym. "STAT?:

"Yeah. And I wouldn't go so Kate and Jeremy took it down."

Jethro ordered Tony to put autopsy on the plasma. STAT meant medical emergency. What kind of emergency would there's me in autopsy. It was no comfort that all they got back was static.

* * *

Kate was felt incredibly stupid. No, she felt more than incredibly stupid. She should have left her Sig back in the bullpen. Tony never would have made such a mistake. She knew that something wasn't right but failed to listen to her gut feeling. And she also got Jeremy involved as well. He wasn't an agent and likely had very little training for hostage situations. Though she had to admit that he probably had more experience than she did.

* * *

Tony had been involved with hostage situations before, as both the hostage (memories of his time under his father's 'care' came to mind and he quickly focused back at the task at hand) and the as person trying to convince the bad guy that keeping a hostage was a bad idea. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't. His gut was telling him that no amount of negotiations would convince this guy, if there was a guy, would do as they told him to do. They didn't even know if they even had a hostage situation yet.

He moved as fast as he could down the stairs behind Jethro. Nothing was more important than keeping his focus.

* * *

Jeremy didn't say a word as the terrorist integrated Kate. He wished that she would just shut up with her protests and do as she was told. He studied the man as he was trained to do. The terrorist wasn't giving him anything to clue him in as to who he was. For all he knew, even the accent could be fake.

It was hard to watch as Kate was practically assaulted in front of them. The position that he was in made it impossible to turn his head. Plus any movement would attract unwanted attention to himself. He was an observer and couldn't afford to be distracted. Kate could take care of herself... if would just did what she was told.

He didn't have his ID on him. He had no weapon, not even his knife that he left his desk next to the profile he writing n Qassam.

The terrorist gave him the same treatment that he gave Kate. Not finding anything on him, he began to question him.

"Special Agent...." The terrorist gave him a chance to answer.

"I'm not an agent." Jeremy paused before telling him his name. "Parkinson. Dr. Parkinson."

"Doctor? Are you a medical examiner as well?"

"No." Not a lie but not telling him what he obviously wanted to know.

"Oh. Then what kind of doctor are you?"

Jeremy considered his options. Tell him the truth, tell him a lie, or tell him a non-answer. "That doesn't really matter."

"I believe that it does." He walked between the two tables and rounded the one that Kate was on. He stood over her making sure that she knew that she was going to be questioned first. "You both may roll over now if you keep your hands where they are." The a small pause. "Did Special Agents search Qassam's room?" Pause. "Where is the evidence that was bagged and tagged? Doctor, please explain the rules."

Ducky took a deep breath. "If we lie, or if he thinks that we're lying, he'll put a bullet in one of Gerald's joints."

"Be specific. Ball and socket joints. And you omitted on condition."

He turned his head toward the terrorist. "I did?"

"Yes, you did."

"Oh, yes. We mustn't try to trick him."

Jeremy blocked out the rest. If he wanted to help Ducky he had to stay focused. Listening while a friend is being shot wasn't going to help Gerald.

The terrorist turned back to Jeremy. "Now, I believe I asked you a question."

"I'm a psychologist."

* * *

Tony cracked the open the door to the stairwell. Autopsy was dark making it difficult to see what was going on inside. Everyone was in place. Jethro and Tony were in the stairwell. Pacci's and his team was in receiving, and Balboa's team was waiting in the elevator. Once that it was confirmed that something wasn't as it should be, Jethro left Tony on the stairs and went back up to MTAC.

There was nothing that Tony wanted more than to be able to see what was going on. However, he knew that what ever it was couldn't be good. He watched as Kate ran back and forth in front of the autopsy doors. Her movements told him that she was on a mission. He couldn't see what he had in her hands but he hoped that it wasn't Ducky's bag. That would mean that someone was hurt...

* * *

It wasn't helpful that Kate was half-hysterical as Jeremy and Ducky worked to stop the bleeding. Jeremy assisted as well as could, grabbing a syringe of morphine and jabbing into Gerald's leg. Ducky pressed into the wound. He was grateful that it was a through and through. It meant two wounds but they didn't have to worry about the bullet causing any more damage.

Then the phone began to ring.

"Answer the phone, Doctor," demanded the terrorist.

"You answer it! I'm trying to stop this bleeding. Kate, you answer the phone."

"No. Dr. Mallard, you are going to leave Gerald here in the capable hands of Dr. Parkinson. Or do you want me to put a bullet in his knee as well."

Ducky took a moment to glare at the terrorist but went to answer the phone, telling Jeremy to keep pressure on Gerald. Before he could pick it up the unnamed man pushed the button for speakerphone. Kate had taken Gerald's hand on the uninjured side.

He got off the phone with Jethro as fast as he could. Jeremy had no real medical knowledge and Kate was no good to him in her state of mind.

Turning to the terrorist, Ducky gave him a hate filled glare. "I can't wait to weigh your liver."

* * *

Tony watched from his perch in the stairwell as an unknown male walked in front of the door. He reported this to Jethro. He didn't get a good look at his face. He had a feeling that he didn't look out the door just in case someone was watching. Tony didn't like that. This guy was too smart.

* * *

Ducky moved quickly as he worked on Gerald. There wasn't much that could be done. He didn't have the proper equipment for that kind of surgery. While Jeremy had more medical knowledge than Kate, it wasn't enough for him to be a good assistant. No. Gerald needed a hospital and the sooner he got to one the better his chances. He wasn't going to die, but losing an arm isn't easy to live with.

The terrorist went back to questioning them. This time Kate was(slightly) more cooperative. She wasn't going risk Gerald getting shot again. He had already lost too much blood and she wasn't going to be responsible for him loosing more. She told him where the evidence was.

The four of them watched curiously as the terrorist pointed his gun at the ceiling and shot it. Jeremy was disturbed by the smile on the terrorist's face. This was just a game to him and Jeremy was getting tired of playing it.

They were ordered to put Qassam in a body bag as the intruder alert alarm went off.

* * *

Jethro was on the move. He had a lot to do and not a lot of time to get it done. Meeting with the HRT leader was one of those things that he would have left to Jeremy. Then going back to MTAC to once again talk to Agents Cassidy and Snyder to see if they knew who their terrorist was. They didn't. Snyder was able to get him a motive as to why Qassam was in Little Creek to begin with but that didn't help them identify who was in autopsy. Knowing that he was trying to infect Israeli sailors helped only a little.

Meeting up with Tony and Abby to go through the evidence that Tony and Kate brought in was next on his to do list. They dumped all the contents on the floor and went through everything that could contain the virus. Fortunately there wasn't much; aspirin, nasal spray, breath freshener was easy enough to find at the pharmacy. Abby found the nearest tea shop quickly on her PDA while Jethro to do the same with paper and a pencil.

"How long do you think it would have taken me to find the nearest tea shop?" Jethro asked Tony.

"An hour sooner than me."

* * *

Listening to the terrorist speaking to the negotiator was sickening for Kate. He regretted shooting Gerald. She didn't believe that he could regret doing since he had been threatening him that he would do it even before she came down to autopsy.

She had to do something. Victim wasn't a role she was comfortable with. Eying the knife she made a grab for it despite Ducky's protests. Jeremy knew that trying to talk her out of it was futile so didn't even try.

"Dr. Mallard thinks you were daring me to pick up this knife."

"The proper term is a dissecting tool." Jeremy rolled his eyes at the terrorist. It didn't matter what it was called. Now really wasn't the time to be politically correct.

"You didn't answer my question! You just wanted another excuse to shoot Gerald, didn't you!" She couldn't let that happen. She was the agent and it was her job to protect the others.

What happened next happened so fast that Kate wasn't sure how it happened. He held her close to his body and forced her to drop the knife. They were so close that they could have kissed. Jeremy was more than uncomfortable seeing them in that position. Especially since Kate seemed to be flushed.

The terrorist laughed a little. "I have no intention of shooting Gerald again, Caitlin. I did, however, want to see if I was right about you.

"Next time I'll be quicker."

"Oh, don't you wonder why you weren't now?" Kate wasn't sure if he was mocking her or not.

Jeremy wanted to go to Kate. Force that monster to remove his hands from her. He wasn't sure what happened next but he did know that Kate back at his side.

The terrorist wanted a meet and greet in autopsy. The man gave him orders and Jethro wasn't going to follow them to the letter. He just had to wait for Tony to get back from getting the replacement evidence. The rambling about the tea caught Jethro's attention.

"Tony."

"Yeah, Boss?"

"You nervous?"

"Yeah. I don't like you going down there unarmed and solo." Translation: I don't like that I can't protect you.

"No choice. Besides, I need you outside receiving." He gave his orders to the team in the elevator.

"By the time we get down from receiving, it'll be all over."

"This guy's not a suicide bomber. He has an escape plan. Maybe to get out the same way he came in. I want someone I know there." No one was around to hear the affection in his words.

"I know that. I just want to keep you safe."

Abby came up to them at that moment and told them that the nasal spray was the only container that held the small pox virus. Tony began rambling again on the way to the elevator. Abby asked him if he was nervous. He denied that he was but Abby knew that he was lying and told him that she was nervous as well.

* * *

"You're older than I expected." The terrorist was standing in the shadows. Jethro could barely see him. Gerald was lying still on the autopsy table. There was a distinct rise and fall of his chest confirming that he was still alive.

"Where are the other hostages?"

The terrorist ignored his demand. "Box on the floor. Hands on top of your head, turn around, and walk back to the door."

"Not without Gerald."

"He won't leave here at all unless you put the box on the floor, your hands on your head, turn around."

"Turn around and walk back to the door. Older doesn't mean deaf. You want out of here alive?" He was annoyed with the young terrorist but he didn't let it show.

"I'm sure Gerald does."

"I think you do, too. That's why very slowly now I'm going to reach into this box and take out of here with two fingers exactly what you want." He took out the nasal spray, opened the evidence bag that it was in, and sniffed it. "Ah! Surprise! You failed. Mission over. The real smallpox virus is on its way to CDC. Do you want to talk about whether you live or die?"

"How far were you from Qassam when yo shot him?"

"Oh, I don't know."

The terrorist didn't believe him. "You measured it for you incident report."

"Thirty seven feet and a few inches, give or take."

"Oh, you're a very good shot." He had no idea how good he was.

"I would love to demonstrate."

"Funny. Special Agent Todd said the same thing." Though he didn't sound as though he thought it was funny.

"Where is she? And the doctors?"

Once again he was ignored. "Would you truly like to demonstrate?"

"Yep."

"Agent Todd's Sig Sauer is in the box to your left. The clip is from the Sig Sauer. Untampered. All live rounds." There was a pause. "Pick it up."

"Why?"

"Why not?"

Everything went by so fast. Jethro remembered taking one shot and then going down himself. He remembered the pain that tore through his shoulder. He saw someone enter the elevator but didn't see their face. He didn't remember blacking out from that pain. Though it could have been the flash bang that caused him to lose consciousness.

The next thing he was aware of was Tony frantically trying to get him to wake up.

Boss! Boss! Hey, boss. Listen, don't try to sit up. Don't sit up." Of course he didn't obey. He was fine. "The EMT's will be here in a minute. It's a through and through. Nothing vital."

"Did I get him?"

"Yeah, you got him." Tony was exasperated that he cared more about shooting the bastard that shot him than his own health. He knew that he was the same way but he was younger and healed faster.

Jethro didn't listen to Tony's report. He was more interested in finding his three team members and the body on the floor.

"How'd you get him, Gibbs," asked HRT Leader Horowitz. Jethro turned over the body.

"I didn't." The body was Qassam.

* * *

Kate didn't believe that Tony thought that she had Stockholm Syndrome. It was impossible. They weren't together long enough for her to develop a dependence on their captor. Tony had to be wrong.

Jeremy didn't think that Tony wasn't too far off. However he thought it was the exact opposite, Lima Syndrome. He could see that Kate growing more sympathetic to their captor the longer they were with him, especially after the incident with the knife.

It didn't matter what it was. She had to get herself looked at and unfortunately since he was also a hostage, it couldn't be him.

* * *

Bête Noir. Nightmare. They can change a person's perspective on life in an instant. Even if they are only part of our imaginations, they can cause irreparable damage. That is even more true if it's part of reality. We can deny it as much as we want but it doesn't change a thing. It will haunt us until we accept that it is now part of our lives.

Jethro accepted it.

That morning Tony had every intention to hand in his two weeks notice. Now though, he couldn't do that. He knew how obsessed his dad could get when he's chasing after the impossible. The bastard went after his team, his family, and that was totally unacceptable.

The photo of the terrorist in the basement only proved that he was already making this personal. The bullet holes said more than words ever could.

"Dad, I know that I can't stop you from going after this guy. I just want you to promise me one thing. Please be careful."

Jethro only nodded his promise and Tony knew that it was better than nothing.

Tony studied the photo, the first chance that he got look at it for more that just a few minutes. He looked directly into Jethro's eyes. "I think I know him."


	32. April 2004

CBS and Paramount Pictures own NCIS.

You're to Blame

**You are to blame for anything that is good in my heart. You are to blame for this change that has taken me by storm. - Mercy Me**

SPOILERS: _UnSEALed_ and _Dead Man Talking._

Chapter Thirty-two – April 2004

Saturday May 3, 2004

Between cases, family, and making sure Jethro didn't do anything stupid, Tony didn't have a lot of free time to go over his old files from OSP. He just couldn't figure out who it was that had taken Jeremy, Ducky, Gerald and Kate hostage the previous month. So far he didn't have a single clue to who he was. That was more frustrating than anything he ever had to do. It was cutting into the little time that he had to sleep. And that wasn't the only thing that was.

"Uncle Tony?" There was a thump that came from the living room. Kristina suppressed a laugh. "Did you fall off the couch again? You know that monstrosity isn't good for your back." Kristina entered the room and saw that he was indeed on the floor.

"I didn't fall off the couch. I just rolled over unintentionally."

Kristy laughed. "You fell off the―" Tony threw a pillow at her.

"Why are here?" he asked her as he got up off the floor.

"You were supposed to take me shopping for my history project."

"Where's―"

"Dad's at a psychiatric conference in Arlington. Are you OK?"

"I'm fine."

"You're not 'fine', Uncle Tony. Dad told me what happened last month... well, part of what happened last month. I know you haven't caught the bastard―"

"Kristina Dawn Parkinson! You do not use that kind of language!

She rolled her eyes. Being raised by men meant that she picked up some not so nice words. She knew that they tried not to use them around her but that was nearly impossible. But she did as she was told and used a word that, while not approved of, was slightly better than 'bastard'. "OK, fine. I know that you haven't caught the _jerk _that shot Grandpa."

"He wants me to jog my memory of how I know him. Going through my old case files isn't helping."

"It's also kinda pointless." She continued before he could question her. "You remember all of your old aliases, right?" Tony nodded. "And their known associates?" He nodded again. "Then I don't think he's from as old case."

"You could be right, but how do I figure out when I met him?"

"You're the investigator, Uncle Tony. Do your job and investigate.... Later. Right now I have to get to the mall.

* * *

Even after all these years, Tony still hated the mall. In fact, not one single male in the entire family like the place. It was much more convenient to go to one of smaller stores or, better yet in some cases, the internet. But Kristy insisted that what needed could only be found at the horrible place.

Not wanting to spend the day with a shopaholic teen, Tony told Kristy to call him when she was ready to leave. She was also ordered her not to buy more than two new outfits. He didn't want to stay at the mall any longer than he had to. They were there for school supplies, not clothes.

After wandering around for a little while, Tony went to one of the many stores that sold movies and movie paraphernalia. He picked up random films only looking at the summery before deciding weather he wanted them of not and if he already had them. It didn't take long for him to realize that he picked out mostly chick flicks. Sam and Coral were going to love him when he brought these for the next family movie night. He quickly added a few sports movies. None of them were action films. There was too much of a chance that it would involve a terrorist... probably why Jethro had been avoiding picking out _Air Force One _lately.

For once Tony could say that he was truly and honestly bored. Not bored like when he threw wads of paper at Kate and Jeremy, but the 'I don't have anything to do and I don't care' kind of way. And Tony liked it. He knew that he had a lot of work to do but he was going to relish the feeling for as long as he possible get away with it.

That feeling went away as soon as he ran into Kate inside the bookstore.

"Tony? What are you doing here? I'm pretty sure that they don't sell GSM here."

Anger flashed through his eyes. He had no idea where Kate got the impression that he read that magazine. He may admire a woman's appearance but he never degraded them like that. Shannon and Jethro had taught him better than that. "Speak like that to me again, Kate, and it'll be a reprimand in your file. Are we clear Agent Todd?"

"What?" She couldn't understand what she done wrong. "Tony, you tease me all the time!"

"Yeah, I tease. I don't insult you. I don't question your integrity."

Kate was speechless. She didn't mean it to sound that way. A moment later she found her voice. "I wasn't questioning your integrity. I sorry if you thought I was."

Tony only nodded. Then his phone rang. "DiNozzo." When the person on the other end introduced himself Tony stepped out of Kate's hearing range. "I have to go. I'll you later and explain."

"Wait! Can I come with?"

It was a family matter but he didn't have time to argue. Plus, having an extra badge might be useful. "Fine. But if I order you to do something you have to do it."

She didn't like but she wasn't in any position to fight him on it. "No problem. Where are we going?"

"To face an adversary a hundred times worse than the FBI. "Kate was totally confused. "Mall cops, Katie, mall cops. They are very finicky about letting anyone take a case that happens in their domain. You got your badge?" She nodded. "Good, you may need it."

"You want to tell me what's going on?" It was more of a demand than a question. Tony only allowed it because he was in a hurry.

"The mall cops have Kristina in custody."

"Custody? That means―"

"I know what it means, Kate," he snapped at her. "You didn't deserve that." It was the closest that he would come to an apology. "We're here."

The security room was an unorganized mess. The only place that didn't have clutter surrounding it were the monitors. Only one person was there other than Kristy, a fifty something man wearing a mall cop uniform. He introduced himself as Mack and left it at that. Tony didn't like that they were being ignored. But it did tell him that Mack wasn't head of security.

Tony then took in Kristina's appearance. Her clothes were disheveled and her hair had seen better days. By the shaking of her shoulders, it was obvious that she was crying but she was painfully trying to hide it. She rarely cried. It wasn't because she was taught that crying was a weakness but because she never seemed to have a reason to cry.

"Kristy?" She finally looked up. Kate gasped in shock and Tony barely contained his anger at the sight of the large bruise that covered the left side of her usually flawless face. "What happened?"

"No talking!" barked Mack.

"Kristy, who did that to you?"

She didn't answer but flung herself into Tony's arms. She wanted to hug him back but was restricted which caused Kate to gasp again.

"Uncuff her. NOW!" Tony was surprised by the amount of authority Kate put into her words. And the amount of care for a girl that she had never even met.

"I can't do that. Chief said she was dangerous."

"She's fifteen-years-old!" raged Tony.

"What? I was told that he was eighteen."

"That shouldn't matter. Unless she tried to kill someone, there's no reason to keep her cuffed."

"I'll be the judge of that mister..."

"Special Agent DiNozzo." Tony immediately disliked the mall cop that had just entered with two Metro police officers. "And you are?"

"Chief of Security Russel." Tony almost laughed at the air of importance that Russel used and he would have if it weren't for the next few words that came out of his yellowed-stained mouth. "I suggest that you step away from the girl so that my friends can take her to the police station."

"Why? What do you think she did?" Kate couldn't believe that the girl currently in Tony's arms could ever do anything wrong. She had this presence of innocence around her.

"I do _think_ she did something. I _know_ she did something."

* * *

As soon as they got home from the police station Tony called Ducky. He needed somebody that he trusted to look after his favorite godchild. His main priority was to keep this from reaching the family. Calling in Sam was the one way to keep that from happening.

Kristy had been charged with shoplifting. The mere idea was ridiculous. She could have anything that she wanted; there was no logical reason to believe that she would shoplift. And Kristy was nothing if not logical.

While the case wasn't technically NCIS's (no matter how hard to get Metro to hand it over), Kate had managed to flirt he way into getting a copy of the security tapes. After a quick call to Abby, they had her cleaning them up to improve the quality.

The LEO's didn't have any hard proof that Kristina did anything wrong but were taking her to court anyways to make an example out of her... even if they didn't get a conviction. Jeremy decided to take a few weeks off work to clear his daughter's name.

Monday April 5, 2004

It wasn't everyday that the team got a case involving an escaped convict. Actually, during the entirety of Tony's long career at NCIS he never had to deal with one. Now he was glad that he hadn't. Before he never had to deal with the relatives (the wife's parents and his son) fear that the escapee would come after them. Though the boy didn't seem all that scared of his father.

The convict's name was Jack Curtin. Curtin was a SEAL before he was sent to Leavenworth for the murders of his wife and the cable guy. It was supposed to be impossible to escape. Abby was sent all of the evidence to figure out how he did it. However it wasn't due to arrive until the next day.

* * *

It was just Tony's luck that it was Lieutenant Commander Faith Coleman. The woman had no sense of humor from what Tony could make of her. He would have gone crazy years ago if he didn't find ways to lighten the mood. Though many (Kate) would say that he was already crazy.

She didn't have any contact with Curtin since he had been sent to Leavenworth. That wasn't that unusual. Tony haven't met too many people that wants to be associated with a known killer.

* * *

Once he got back from talking to Faith, Tony set about tracking down Curtin's commanding officers. His current CO wasn't available. But his old CO, Commander William Foley, was literally at Little Creek.

Talking to Foley was interesting for Jethro.

"Well if he's looking for help from an old teammate, he'll have to go to Iraq to get it."

"You're here."

Foley didn't bite. "Hazards of promotion."

"Did you have any contact with Curtin since his conviction?"

"No. Not that I'd avoid it. Jack was a good man."

"He's convicted of killing two people."

"Agent Gibbs, you know what it's like to spend every free moment dreaming about being home again, hugging your wife, hearing your kids laugh, only to come home and learn it's all gone?" The words tore at him as he remembered Shannon and Kelly. That was exactly what happened to him. And he also remembered what happened afterward.

"It doesn't justify murder."

"I didn't say it did. Anything else?"

"Not for the moment."

"That's very Jack Webb," said Foley as he left.

Jethro smiled as he made the connection. "Thanks."

* * *

The way Curtin escaped really was genius... not that Jethro would admit that. He used toothpaste to make a mold of one of the security guard's fingerprints while stealing that same guard's smart card.

Kate really wasn't happy with herself. She had let her guard down all because of some spilled milk. Now Curtin had a gun and it was all her fault.

She knew that Gibbs wasn't going to be angry with her. He had every right. It would matter that much to him that she had managed to shoot Curtin. That wasn't going to help them catch him.

Tuesday April 6, 2004

They weren't getting anywhere tracking Curtin. Even McGee knew that... though he wasn't brave enough to actually say it. Knowing how he got to DC wasn't going to help them catch them anymore than knowing how he escaped.

Jethro was starting to believe that there was a chance that Jack Curtin may have innocent of killing his wife and the cable repairman. He just had to order the others the go along with it.

"We think Curtin's innocent, right?" said Kate.

"Maybe."

"Assume he's innocent for the sake of argument."

"Why?"

"Because I said to," snapped Jethro.

"Innocent. Sure. Why not? Go on."

"If Curtin's innocent and he's going after the guy that murdered his wife and cable repairman...."

"I don't think he cares about cable repairmen." That pushed Jethro over the edge and cause his to smack the back of Tony's head. Tony didn't complain mainly because he knew he deserved it.

"If Curtin knows the murderer, why didn't he say so when he was arrested?" mused Kate.

"He did. He said... he thought it might have been drug dealers." He looked through the file.

At the end of the conversation Jethro ordered them to talk to call the JAG lawyers while he looked for the person that investigated the case originally. He was nice to Tony (or maybe Faith) and had Kate call prosecution.

"What the hell are you doing?" Jethro asked McGee while on hold with Central Files.

"Um..."

"Can you form a sentence, Agent McGee?"

"The NCIS Investigator was Special Agent Clay Williamson, sir."

"That's a good sentence."

"He's retired and living on a boat. Get's his mail every three months in Tahiti."

"What kind of boat?" Jethro asked, distracted for a moment.

"Uh... I don't know, sir. But I was able to download his investigation from Central Files."

"I want the Evidence Custody document so we can get..."

"Already on it, sir. I can call Norfolk and have the evidence transferred here."

"How fast?"

"Joint Forces Command has a helo shuttle to the Pentagon."

"Do it." He was impressed by the young agent.

"OK. Yes, sir."

"You don't have to call me 'sir'."

"No, sir." Jethro ignored the title despite his frustration.

"Lawyers!" He demanded an update.

"Commander Coleman is unhappily on her way," reported Kate.

"The defense lawyer told me to shove it. The message was actually delivered by his assistant, but he assured me it was verbatim. "

"I want him here, Tony."

"Boss, he's no longer at JAG. He's a four hundred dollar an hour Beltway lawyer with really nice shoes." He knew that Jethro wouldn't care but there was no way that they could force his to come.

"Tony, I don't care. I don't care if he's wearing Armani or Prada, or Ermin-something Zegna. Get his ass here!"

"Ermenegildo Zegna, Boss. Just so you know."

"Evidence is on its way." McGee hesitated for a moment unsure as to what to call him. "Boss."

* * *

Jethro was slightly proud that Tony had brought in the defense lawyer, Clare, in cuffs. They needed his help and they weren't going to get it if Tony had to shoot him.

The evidence was sorted and they were still having a hard time finding something, anything, to help them find out who Curtin may have been after. Though Tony did find out that the boat was a ketch. Kate guessed that wasn't what he was building in his basement. His was actually a pocket cruiser. He would have built one if his basement wasn't too small. Tony would enjoy a ketch much more than a cruiser.

It was odd that they didn't have all the evidence three years ago. But Tony managed to find that unlike what they believed back then, Margaret Curtin did in fact own a cell phone.

* * *

Back up in the squad room Jethro and Tony met up with Agent Pacci. He wanted something but told Jethro that it could wait another day. It was just a cold case after all.

The deeper they dug, the further it seemed that they got to answers to who it was that Curtin was after. Even the cause of death, which they believed at first to be slit throats, was wrong. Ducky found that it was broken necks that killed Margaret and the cable repairman. It didn't help his case that Curtin was innocent.

Talking to Mrs. Foley, the CO's wife, didn't reveal much. Just that Cmdr. Foley arrived back from Afghanistan a month before Curtin did due to an injury.

The only thing that was found was that Margaret Curtin was having an affair. Abby used ELISA to determine whether or not she had herpes. She did, Jack Curtin did not.

* * *

The Gibbs' family had rules. These rules must be followed (almost) all the time. Unfortunately Timothy McGee didn't know this and broke one of the most important, right after never mess with a Marine's coffee, and it's to never interrupt Gibbs in interrogation. Tony really liked the kid (other than the fact that was dating Abby) and hoped he survived the encounter.

When Jethro went back inside he didn't have the gleam in his eyes that told Tony that he just hurt someone and had enjoyed it. That didn't mean that he wasn't pissed beyond all reason.

"It doesn't make any sense." Tony interrupted the silence that went through the bullpen.

"What?" asked Kate.

"Nothing. It just... it doesn't make any sense."

"Are you going to give it up, Tony, or are you just going to keep repeating yourself?" Jethro demanded without any true heat behind his words.

"The calls from Curtin's wife to the Foley house pretty much stopped after Foley got back from Afghanistan."

"Yeah, so?" Jethro was interested where Tony was going with this.

"So if they were having an affair, wouldn't the calls increase after he got back into town?"

"Well, they didn't need to talk on the phone. They could see each other in person.

"Why did she stop talking to his wife?"

"Well maybe she couldn't. Would you be able to talk to the spouse of someone you were having an affair with?" She almost added something to that but thought better of it, remembering Tony's threat from the other day.

"But she didn't completely stop. McGee, did Foley spend any time in the hospital after he got back?"

"Yeah. He had surgery on his leg and then again for a staph infection."

"Right, the surgery was on November thirteenth, back in for the infection in the twenty-first for..." Tony looked down at the phone records. "one, two, three – three days."

"Yeah, you're right. How'd you know that."

"Because those are the only days Curtin's wife made calls to Foley's house after he got back," answered Tony.

Jethro was the first one to work out what Tony meant by that. "Are you thinking what I think you're thinking?

Tony had a huge grin on his face. "I don't know, Boss. Are you thinking what I think you're thinking?"

"Yeah. Her lover wasn't Foley. It was his wife."

* * *

It was easy to get to Curtin once they worked out that he was after Mrs. Foley rather than Cmdr. Foley. They had used Kate as a decoy, having her pose as Mrs. Foley.

Sunday April 11, 2004

Easter was a day that not everyone in the family wanted to celebrate. The Gibbs and the Parkinsons put on a happy front when they spent the day at the Hayes home, watching the younger kids running around the yard looking for brightly colored plastic eggs.

Kristina tried to smile, she really did. But not knowing what could happen to her or her dad was disheartening. Jeremy could possible lose his job because of this. It wasn't really her fault that the mall cops were a bunch of idiots.

Wednesday April 28, 2004

Everything had gone pear shaped.

First was the incident in autopsy with the terrorist. And they still weren't any closer to finding out who the terrorist was. He knew that he wasn't helping by pressuring Tony.

Then it was Kristy being accused of shoplifting. The mall had no proof that she had done anything wrong but they were pressing charges against her. Her entire life had been turned upside down.

Now Chris Pacci had been killed by a woman that at one time had been a man but wasn't quite yet completely a woman. Tony was going to suffer endlessly for going out on a date with her... him. Well that doesn't matter. He was just doing his job. Kate knew that but she wasn't going to let it go. As soon as Jeremy got back from his leave Jethro was going have him talk to her.

Jethro didn't know when it was going to end. But his gut was telling him that things were going to get a lot worse before they got better. He just wished he could take those thoughts back.

A/N I have nothing against mall cops. I just wanted (yet again) an unusual villain.

Also, please read my series of one-shots. They are very good despite being very short.


	33. May 2004 pt 1

CBS and Paramount Pictures own NCIS.

You're to Blame

**You are to blame for anything that is good in my heart. You are to blame for this change that has taken me by storm. - Mercy Me**

SPOILERS: _Missing_

Chapter Thirty-three – May 2004 Part 1.

Monday May 3, 2004

Court was just part of the job when working for a federal agency. It becomes second nature. Get up, swear to tell the truth, testify, get down. Easy. All you have to do is convince the jury that you are right and they are wrong. Not as easy but doable.

Teenaged girls don't have that advantage. Kristy was a nervous wreak. She knew that she didn't do anything wrong but there was still doubt that she would be believed. She knew that Chief of Security Russel was going to paint her as a bored rich kind looking to take risks or a bored rich kid looking for attention that she _obviously _wasn't getting at home. Her dad was a psychologist so he MUST spend all his time at the office.

The fact that it didn't make any sense that Kristy was being charged didn't phase the three men. They did a little background check on Evan Russel and found that he had tried to get 27 other (wealthy) teenagers tried for shoplifting in the past six months. None of them were brought to trial because none of them had any proof. Apparently the courts got fed up with Russel and finally decided to give him his day in court.

The judge was an older woman. By the looks of it Russel wasn't too happy about that. His lawyer tried to get her to step down by saying that she was likely to be bias. That only made Russel and lawyer look like they were sexists.

Russel said his bit first. Kristy was right. He did try to paint her a rich delinquent looking for attention and a good time. He even showed the tape of him catching her stealing. It was grainy and know one could tell who was who.

Then Kristy told her what really happen. Using Abby's cleaned-up tape, she proved that she was telling the truth.

"I was just looking at a display of bracelets, really cheap ones that had the price racked up just because it had a designer name on it, when this kid came running out and knocked into me. It caused me to fall into the display and it fell." Russel scoffed at that. He heard the story one time too many. "That was when Mr. Russel tackled me. It caused my face to hit a corner of the display. I had a bruise for nearly three weeks after that." One of pictures showed up on the screen. "I did nothing wrong. I was in the wrong play at the wrong time."

The judge knew that Kristy was telling the truth. She had Russel arrested for assaulting a minor and let Kristy go.

Wednesday May 5, 2004

Jeremy watched with mild amusement as Kate and Tony once again bickered with each other. He was gone for far too long and really missed the two of them. Though he did see Tony nearly every night for dinner.

"I thought you couldn't type." That wasn't true. While Tony wasn't anywhere near as good as McGee was on a computer, he could out type him any day. Not that he was a slow typist.

"I've decided to improve myself."

"Well, in that case, you might want to lose that shirt. It went out of style three years ago." Jeremy winced at that. Jethro had given Tony that shirt as a birthday gift three years ago.

"This from a girl who keeps a pukka shell necklace in her purse." That was probably not the smartest thing Tony ever said in his life.

"My grandma gave me those. Wait, you looked in my purse?"

"Sorry, did I say that aloud?" At this point Jeremy was hoping that Tony would just shut up before he got himself killed by Kate.

"Tony, you are so lucky you didn't have sisters growing up." Tony flinched at the comment. He may not have known Kelly her whole life but she was his sister. Kate, of course, didn't know about that. She couldn't know about Kelly. He had to play along no matter how much it hurt.

"Why is that?"

"Because you'd never have reached puberty. Of course one could argue you still haven't reached it." She saw that he was playing a game on his computer rather than work. "Very professional."

They continued to bicker. Jeremy blocked it out. Sure he missed it but it was starting to get old. But then Jethro arrived. Kate had just been telling him that Tony shouldn't be playing his game but she covered for him anyway. Though they probably should have used a better excuse than fashion. Jeremy rolled his eyes when Jethro said that it was up to Tony if he wanted to look like a gay pirate. Though that was his way of telling him that he didn't approve of such a thing.

"I thought you were going to an anti-terrorism conference today, Gibbs."

"Change in plan. A Marine Gunnery Sergeant didn't show up for duty this week."

"Since when do we track down UA Marines?" asked Tony.

"Since he's one of a handful of people who knows how to arm small yield nuclear weapons. His S.R.B. I've got forty-five minutes to memorize it. And Tony? If that game's still on your computer in the morning, I'll pierce your ears myself."

Tony took the threat seriously and vowed to uninstall the game as soon as he could.

* * *

The missing Marine was Bill Atlas. His truck had been sitting outside a bar for five days and no one had thought to all it in.

One of the last people to see him was a waitress, Vanessa. She told Tony, Jethro, Jeremy and Kate that she thought that it was likely that he was having an affair with a redhead. Jethro left Jeremy with the waitress and sent Kate to look at the truck. Jeremy was second best at getting information out of witnesses. Tony was best. But then again in some cases it might have something to with his looks.

This time though Jethro needed him to find evidence. Jeremy could handle overly flirtatious waitresses. The psychologist wasn't trained to bag and tag... meaning that it would break the chain of evidence. He also wouldn't know what to look for.

"Tony! Hey! Get your Butt over here." Tony was talking to Vanessa while taking photos.

"Is he always like that?"

"Uh, only when he's awake."

"Atlas was forced to leave here. No Marine would leave a Zippo like this behind." Tony had to admit that it was one of the nicer lighters that he's seen. It was nearly as nice as the Rollagas Lighters that his father used.

"I've got an unsmoked cigarette over here." Tony took a few pictures of it.

"Bag it."

"What're you thinking, Boss?'

"Wherever Atlas is... his luck is running out."

Tony always had a gift to get people to remember things. Which is probably why he was the best to interview people. He did what both Kate and Jeremy to do. Jethro really didn't want to know what method he used this time. Usually it was better if he didn't know. He was able to get the name of the woman that Atlas was having an affair with, Carol Powers a reporter for _The Post_.

* * *

When Carol entered the squad room that day her actions were pretty predictable. She acted like she didn't even know Atlas until Kate asked where they could find her husband. It was an interesting way for her husband to find out that she had been having an affair. After that she was a lot more cooperative.

She didn't really know anything. He told her that he had a story that she might be interested in... that he might be next in a long string of murders of his friends. His disappearance may have proved that.

Kate believed her. But then again she had the tendency to do that at the worst of times. This time, Jeremy also believed that Carol Powers had nothing to with it.

"Do you believe that story about a cover-up in Iraq, Gibbs?"

"I don't know. I'm more concerned about what's happening here."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning Atlas was a twenty-three thirty-six."

"Explosive Ordinance Disposal Technician." Tony knew a few of those both in Germany and Israel. Nice guys... really knew how to party. "Guys can make of disarm anything from a grenade to a... backpack nuke."

That really troubled Tony and Jethro. In the wrong hands and with the right threats, men like Atlas had enough knowledge to take out cities, including Washington or New York.

"If someone's kidnapping EOD personnel, I want to know why," Gibbs growled.

"Terrorists?"

"Is anyone missing from Atlas' unit?"

"They're all accounted for. But I might have something else here. A new C.O. checked into his command last month, Major Joe Sacco. His record's clean except for a non-punitive letter of punishment from when he was a First Lieutenant."

"For what?"

"He got into a fight with a couple of enlisted men in ninety two. Atlas was one of them."

* * *

Abby was really bored. Really, really bored. So bored that she built a model of Gallipoli. So she was more than happy to run any test that she could think of. Fortunately she never got to the rape kit. Kate was a little surprised when Tony asked whether one of the figurines was Turk of Anzac. Never took him to know much about history.

She found Bron, a mixture of ephedrine, dihydrocodeine and caffeine. Bron is illegal in the States but is more than available in the Philippines an Okinawa, Japan. Okinawa just happened to be Major Sacco's last station before arriving in Quantico a few months previous. Gibbs ordered her to find more on Sacco and Atlas while they went to talk to Sacco.

* * *

They found Sacco with his team disarming a bomb. He had nothing nice to say about Atlas, going so far as nearly accusing of being a drunk. He admitted that he got in a fight with Atlas but he was vague about what.

"He's hiding something," said Kate as they watched the team try to disarm another bomb.

"Oh, yeah." Jethro figured that out on his own. He had the experience to know that everyone is hiding something.

"The question is what." Tony and Jethro covered their ears. Jethro advised Kate to do the just before bomb went off.

* * *

Abby was successful finding info on Sacco and Atlas' pasts. She found that three other men, Tom O'Connor, Rick Hall, and John Mohs, had gone missing and they were all from Sacco's unit from the Philippines. All three men were now considered to be deserters.

Abby found it really sad that if it weren't for her boredom these men would have always been considered to be deserters. In all likelihood they were all dead and no one even knew it. No would have ever connected them and Sacco.

Jethro gave his team orders. Leave Sacco alone until they have enough proof. Kate was focus on the EOD team while he told Tony to a thorough background check on Sacco... starting from birth.

Abby eventually found that there was a fourth man, Mark Cohen. He was discharged in ninety-nine. No one had heard from since 2002.

Thursday May 6, 2004

It didn't take long for Tony to figure out that they weren't going to find Atlas by sitting behind their desks. Knowing the guys background might get them motive but in cases like this one it would help being more proactive in order to actually find the guy.

Gibbs gave Tony the OK to follow Sacco. Abby wasn't too happy about that. With the amount of trouble he had gotten himself into the last few years something bad was bound to happen. Especially since when she found Cohen he had been found dead in a sewer.

* * *

It wasn't all that unexpected when his phone rang. "DiNozzo."

"What's the word?"

"Sacco just left the base. I think he's heading home for the night."

Jethro told him about finding Cohen in the sewer.

"It looks like we're running out of suspects."

"Yeah, it sure looks that way, huh?"

"Do you want me to pick him up?" asked Tony seriously.

"Negative. Just keep him under surveillance."

"Whoa, hold on a sec." He watched as Sacco pulled into a parking lot. "You are not going to believe where's he's pulling in pulling now."

"Hammersmith's Country Bar."

"OK maybe you will."

"I'm getting a search warrant for his house."

"You let me know when he leaves."

"Roger that."

"Tony, watch your six."

"Always"

* * *

Keeping an eye on Sacco at the bar was easier than Tony could have hoped for. The waitress, Vanessa was his only distraction... not that he's letting a pretty girl distract him. She made sure that he was well provided for with nonalcoholic drinks all night. He only left his spot when Sacco got up to leave. He called Jethro to give him an update.

"Hey."

"Dad."

"What's up?"

"Sacco just left the bar, uh...uh...... uh... I'm not feeling so well." Tony's words were slurred.

That got Jethro's attention. "Tony? Are you OK?"

"I think I screwed up, Dad." He fell to the ground unconscious.

"Hey, Tony. Can you hear me?" There was no answer. He felt panic rise up in him. "Hey Tony! Tony! Tony!" There still was no answer. "We're coming for you!"

* * *

"Welcome to hell."

That was the first thing Tony became aware of when he came to in the sewer. He quickly assessed the situation. Locked in a small room with a man that was half dead pretty much summed everything up quite nicely. Next he noted that Atlas was chained to a wall. He was going have to fix that as soon as he could. Though he would have to wait until the effects of what he assumed to be Bron to wear off. At least his mind was still in one piece. It would have been very bad if he had the same reaction to Bron that he had to painkillers. His being high was the last thing either of them needed.

"Hey, people have been wondering where you've been all week."

"Only a week? It feels like... it feels like months." He sounded weak. Tony knew that he probably hadn't had any food or water since he went missing. If he had it was only enough to keep him alive to continue this torture.

"Hey, hey, hey. Conserve your strength, OK? You're going to need it."

"For what?" Tony did like that Atlas was already giving up.

"For when I get us out of here." He wasn't going to rely on his dad to save him this time. They didn't have a guarantee he would find him in time.

"You got a plan?"

"Of course I do. I found you, didn't I?" He had to stay positive. "Granted, the escape part's still a little fuzzy, but I just got here."

"Well unless you're a blacksmith, we're pretty much screwed here."

"You need to stay positive, Gunny." Tony repeated his thoughts.

"You're right. I'm positive I'm screwed."

"A sense of humor's good. You're gonna need that. OK, let's get this chain off your leg."

"How?"

"Rule nine." He undid his belt and took out his knife. It was a useful little thing.

"What?"

"My mom." Tony smiled. "She had a rule for everything. Dad adopted the concept when he meet her. Now the whole family does it. Now rule nine is to never go anywhere without a knife." Tony said this as he worked to get the chain loose.

"Even if you get it off, how do we get out of the room?" There was no trace of hope in his voice.

"Hey, one thing at a time, huh, Gunny?"

Friday May 7, 2004

Jeremy was fuming. He didn't find out that his best friend, his brother, was missing until the next day. There wasn't anything that he could do either. They had a suspect that they were tracking down but Metro and the other PD's were doing that. He would only get in the way.

It was one of the few times that he hated that he wasn't an agent.

They had brought in McGee. They had already proven that Atlas couldn't be found using a computer. Why would be any different for Tony. He resented the fact that the kid was at Tony's desk. True there wasn't anywhere else to put him. It just wasn't right.

* * *

Getting the gunny free was taking more time than Tony thought it would. The chains were were incredibly tight. The job wasn't meant to be done with a knife. The proper tools would have made it a lot easier. But unfortunately there wasn't a rule that told them to always a carry a toolbox.

The gunny was surprisingly willing to talk despite the fact he was so weak. He confessed that he and his friends killed four girls.

* * *

Ducky's report on Cohen's autopsy gave Jethro some hope that Atlas and more importantly (in his mind) Tony were still alive.

"You'll find him, Jethro." He may not understand the bond between the two men but he knew it was there and supported it as much as he could.

"That a question or a statement, Duck?" He didn't wait for an answer. But Ducky gave one anyways.

"A little bit of both, I'm afraid."

* * *

It took a lot work and a lot of silence between the two before Atlas was free. He was still slumped against the wall because he could barely support his weight.

Now Tony was working on the door which proved to be even more difficult than the chains. He had to keep Atlas talking. He ordered him to tell him about the girls.

Tony was horrified by what the gunny was telling him. The men had decided to ship their girlfriends to the States. Unfortunately however, Sacco changed orders at last moment, leaving the girls with very little food and water. It was an accident but it was also incredibly stupid of them. There were better ways to get them out of the Philippines. Harder, yes, but at least it wouldn't have ended in their deaths.

One of the girls was Sacco's ex. He was doing a revenge killing.

* * *

Abby found a partial print off the silver cross that was found on Cohen. It matched a fingerprint that she found in a credit card receipt from the bar. They didn't have a name but Jethro ordered McGee to get an arrest warrant on Carol Powers anyways.

Jeremy wasn't convinced that it was Carol's print but he didn't say anything. They didn't have time. Tony and Atlas didn't have time. And yet once again he was being left behind.

Saturday May 8, 2004

Tony was getting frustrated with this guy. Sure the situation was dire but there was no reason to give up hope. That was one of Shannon's rules. Never give up hope. That was important when Jethro was away for long periods of time. It may have been taking him a long time to get free but he was doing it.

"I won't make it. I can... I can barely stay conscious."

Tony rounded on the man. "I must have read your file wrong, Gunny. It said you were a Marine."

"I am a Marine."

Tony scoffed. "If you say so. Most Marines I know... they don't quit. Besides, I was always taught to never leave a man behind."

Tony learned that from his time in the Marines, but it was drilled into his skull long before that by his dad when he adopted him. Jethro Gibbs never left anyone behind and neither was he.

* * *

It was dawn when Jethro and Kate made it to Manassas. He refused to wait for the K9 units before going down to find his son. Plus, the longer they waited the less likely that Atlas would survive this.

Going in the sewer, they weren't expecting to hear Sacco down there. But his words revealed a lot. Tony and Atlas had somehow gotten free.

Atlas knew that he was slowing the agent down. Heck, he was acting more like a Marine during the past twenty-four hours than he had in the past nineteen years. But he didn't care. All he wanted to do was die.

They couldn't rest though. Sacco was right behind them. The agent was pretty determined not to get caught again. Even if it meant that he had to carry him. He didn't doubt that the younger man could do it either.

Then Tony heard the most welcome voice. "Tony!"

"Boss!"

"Tony!" They found each other on the opposite sides of a wall.

"Hey, what are you doing down here?"

Jethro rolled his eyes. "What do you think I'm doing here?"

"Is that Kate?"

"Yeah," she answered for herself.

"How'd you get over there?"

"I'm kind winging it. Atlas is in pretty bad shape."

"Stay where you are. We'll work our way to you."

Tony shook his head. "I can't. Sacco is right behind us."

Jethro did not like the sound of that. "OK, go. Go! Keep moving. We'll catch up to you."

They ran a little further but the gunny wasn't having it. He just couldn't run anymore. Even Tony was starting to tire. He put Atlas down, unable to carry him. He was near an grate that led to the street.

"My father was right. I'm going to end up in the gutter." He mentally shook himself of those thoughts.

The rested long enough that Sacco was able to catch up with them. He had a gun and was genuinely surprised to see Tony. He was even more surprised that Tony seemed to think that he was going to shoot him.

"I followed her here. I didn't want to believe it, but it's true. She's completely insane. But we've got to get him out of here before she finds us."

"Who?" asked Tony.

Sacco was about to answer but he was shot.... by a waitress.

It was Vanessa. She was one of the women that the Marines tried to ship home. Atlas thought that she was dead. Sacco had found her in the crate with three dead women. She ordered Tony to drop his knife. Tony did as he was told but still protectively stood over Atlas. Atlas and the other men did something stupid and dangerous but they didn't deserve to die for a mistake.

Kate and Jethro stood behind a wall, listening to Vanessa's story. Jethro ordered to to only shoot if it looked as though Vanessa was make the first move.

"You don't want to do this." They heard Tony tell the waitress.

"I've been doing this for eight years. I was the youngest. They gave me all their food. And slowly each one of them died. Do you know what it's like to watch your friends die? To sleep with their corpses? Do you?"

We can't let you do this, Vanessa.

Vanessa paused. "We?"

"Drop it!" shouted Kate.

"Yeah, my friends," said Tony

* * *

Kate kept an eye on Tony while he was being looked over by the paramedics. She shook her head at the way he insisted that he was fine... nothing that a hot meal, a cool glass of water, and a shower couldn't fix. That wasn't possible. But the only real change was that Tony was clingy towards their boos. What was odd though was the fact that the older man didn't seem to mind. Or he just didn't notice.

The interaction between the two once again made Kate question their unique relationship. Gibbs fierce protectiveness had been obvious since the beginning. But she had never actually witnessed this part. Relief was pouring off from the lead agent. Not that it was unusual for a lead agent to care that his subordinate was safe. She was relieved as well but not to the point that she was constantly at Tony's side.

Apparently the paramedics agreed to let Tony go without sending him to the hospital. Kate was amused when he rushed to the front passenger seat. After what he had just been through, Kate would have let him have the seat without a fight. He was hurting and needed to be near someone that he would never doubt cared for him.

He told them, in agonizing detail, about what happen in the sewer. She had to admit that she was impressed. He did a lot more than she could have to keep Atlas alive.

During the ride Kate couldn't help but watch Gibbs' hand twitch every few minutes. It seemed as though he was repressing the urge to touch Tony. Although the twitch could have been caused by caffeine withdrawal.

The chattering slowed once they got to the base. Slowed not stopped.... especially in the elevator.

"I didn't think you would have found us, Boss. I mean, I didn't give up hope that I'd get out out there," he quickly reassured Jethro. "I just thought that I would have to of relied on my own cunning."

The elevator stopped and they got out. Jethro put both hands on Tony's shoulders. "Never doubt that I'll come for you. I thought that I proved that to you a long time ago." Tony was speechless that he would say such a thing in front of Kate... but then Jethro ruined it by showing her just how big of a bastard he wanted her to believe he was. "For get it, McGee. He's still alive."

A/N I'm sorry that this is late. We had some pretty nasty storms last night that prevented me from using my computer.


	34. May 2004 pt 2

CBS and Paramount Pictures own NCIS.

You're to Blame

You are to blame for anything that is good in my heart. You are to blame for this change that has taken me by storm. - Mercy Me

SPOILERS: _Split Decision_ and _A Weak Link_.... very minor.

Chapter Thirty-four – May 2004 Part 2

Sunday May 9, 2004

It was very late or rather very early when Morrow allowed them all to leave. Tony could barely keep his eyes open. He had been forcing himself to stay awake. That was a lot more difficult than he thought it would be but the adrenaline rush had worn off long before they were released. However, he didn't want Kate to know about the nightmares that would surely come.

Now that he was back home, all he wanted to do was sleep for the next twenty-four hours of so.... after taking a much needed shower. He used the one used for decontamination but that was just to get all of the nasty grim that accumulated on him from the sewers. He also wanted to change into his own clothes. The NCIS jumpsuits weren't exactly fashionable.

That wasn't likely going to happen because Jethro had other plans. He was still very particular about Tony's eating habits. Most likely he was going to be forced to eat more than he usually did.

Problem was he wasn't hungry.

Tony picked at his steak, not caring that he was being watched.

"Eat!" came the expected order.

"I'm not hungry." Tony pushed the plate away from him.

"You know better than to pull that on me. Now eat or I'll feed you myself."

"I don't want to eat." Tony raised his voice which was something that he rarely did.

Jethro instantly knew that something was wrong. "Talk to me, Kid."

He didn't say anything for a moment but when he did his voice was small, Jethro had heard that tone since Tony was seventeen. That scared him more than just about anything else.

"He was right."

There was no question as to 'he' was.

"He wasn't right. He's will never be right."

"So I didn't end up in the gutter,"snorted Tony. "I guess that I only imagined the past few days. Better to be going insane, I suppose."

"You did not end up in the gutter. Yes, you were in the sewer but think of the good that came out of that. If you weren't there Atlas would have died." The pained expression was still on Tony's face. He had to fix this even if it meant talking. "When did he tell you that you that you were going to end up in the gutter?"

"He said it more than once." He evaded the question.

"The last time?"

"When I was sixteen." Jethro glared at him. "The day before I left Long Island."

"Why didn't you tell me?" He didn't give Tony a chance to answer. "What happened back then?"

It really was a surprise to Jethro that he didn't know the whole story. He thought that he knew all the important facts from Tony's past. Though he figured that he should have known better, he didn't know about his history with all of those stalkers.

"My father wasn't too happy that I didn't want to go to Harvard. But I think he did understand that seventeen was a bit young for such a high pressure school. Don't think he got that I just didn't want to go. He gave me two options though, either go straight to Harvard like a good little DiNozzo and finish with business school or spend a year with my uncle, Clive Paddington, and his son in England and then go to Harvard and finish with business school."

This revelation shocked Jethro. Never in the past sixteen years had he ever thought about Tony having other family. Sure he mentioned a cousin or uncle from the DiNozzo side of the family but he knew that they never would have accepted Tony. But not once did he think about his mother's family.

"Why didn't you go? They were your family." Tony could hear what he really asking._ Why did you choose me and Shannon, a couple of strangers, over your relatives. _

"I hadn't seen Uncle Clive since my mother's funeral. And my cousin, Crispian, well he kinda hated me for some reason. I think it might have something to do with the fact that my name isn't Crispian."

Jethro had to laugh at that. And he thought he had it bad.

"Obviously you did neither."

"No. Jeremy gave me an out. We actually went through Pennsylvania before coming to DC. And the rest after that is history."

There was a comfortable silence between them for a few minutes. They never needed it. Though Jethro was happy to see that Tony was eating his steak instead of pushing it around.

"Do you have any regrets?"

"Nah. I didn't even know the man. Plus if had gone I would have had to of suffered months upon months of Crispian complaining about every little thing. That, and I would probably be in a lot of debt right now. Uncle Clive's the only one who would have lent me money for college... My father would never have paid for anything less than Harvard, maybe Yale or Stanford. I actually wanted to go to Ohio State for the sports program."

"I didn't mean that."

"The Marines. NCIS. OSP. No, I don't regret any of that. Even if I had gone the OSU path I think I would have ended up at NCIS or maybe another agency. It was...." Tony paused. The thought struck him like a bolt of lighting. He quickly ran downstairs to get the bullet riddled picture of the terrorist that held Jeremy, Kate, Ducky, and Gerald hostage. "Another agency. That's where I know him. Jeremy said that our terrorist kept claiming that he wasn't a terrorist. What if he was telling the truth?"

"Where are you going with this, Tony?"

"Think about the facts, Dad. The Israeli embassy sends a body of someone from a Royal Navy. That body just so happened to be alive and spoke with a British syntax. So he probably had an education from England."

"Yeah. Ducky said that to me a few weeks ago."

"Hush. Let me get this out all at once.

"The major point in this is that it was the Israelis that sent the body. Our terrorist had some distinctive similarities to those of that particular descent but he had Islamic features as well. If I'm right, then it can only be one person."

Jethro scavenged his memories of what Tony had told him about his time in Israel. "You don't think....."

Monday May 10, 2004

The whole team and McGee was crowded in Abby's lab. On the plasma was a picture of the ever infamous terrorist. Tony was standing in front of them and obviously wished that he wasn't. But since he was the one that actually met him all those years ago, he had to be the one to tell (a very edited version) of who he was.

This was not going to go well.

"Alright Tony, spit it out. Why are we all down here to discuss this rather than at our desks?" Kate said this as she noted the picture.

"As you know I have met the man that held.... well you know what he did, I just couldn't remember where I had met him. It was Jeremy who told me to look further into my past. I first I didn't understand the implications in doing so. Now I do."

"What are you talking about Tony?"

"You told me that he said that he isn't a terrorist."

Kate scoffed at that. "Of course he's a terrorist. Why else would he have held us hostage?"

"You're right. He is a terrorist. Just not legally." Tony took a deep breath. "I'm not hundred percent positive that I'm right, but have reasons, confidential reasons, to believe that he's a Mossad operative. Most likely he's _Metsada._" Tony said _Metsada _with an Israeli accent.

"What's his name?" asked Jeremy. He knew very little of Tony's history in Israel. It wasn't a time period that anyone liked to talk about.

"Ari. It's his father that's more interesting because he's Eli David." The only people who weren't confused as to why that was important were the members of the Gibbs family (those by blood, legally, and honorary). "Eli David is the deputy director of Mossad."

"Are you sure that it's the same person?" asked Abby. She didn't know that much about the organization other than it was similar to their CIA... only scarier.

"I only met Ari once when he was a teenager. Eli wasn't very high on the food chain back then but he tried to recruit me to be a _Katsas."_

"A what?" This question came from more than one person.

"An intelligence officer of sorts." No reason to go into more depth than that. Let them figure out that he was considered to be a hot commodity. Spying on his own country just wasn't what he wanted to for any part of his life.

"How did you meet him, Tony?" McGee's question was innocent but it was one he would never answer.

"That's so classified that only the SecNav has authority to get it answered and even then only in the most secure of locations."

"I don't understand."

"Abs, you remember that little background check you did on me?" She nodded. "Mossad found even less on me than you did."

"But that means...."

"Exactly. What's better than a operative that doesn't exist?"

"What do you mean 'doesn't exist'?"

"Ducky, when I tried find information on Anthony DiNozzo all I got back was date of birth, his parents names, and a few snippets from a couple of months at Ohio State. It was almost as though it was badly made fake persona that was created for an undercover op and was never deleted."

Tony nearly panicked when Abby said that. He had to get them back on track and fast. It wasn't helping that Jethro wasn't saying anything.

"So, how do you know all of this?" asked Kate.

It was Jethro that answered. "That's confidential."

"Do you know or is it confidential from you as well"

"I know."

"How do know if it confidential from everyone other than the SecNav?"

"That's confidential."

"Before we actually start saying that it's Ari we need confirm it. McGee, is there a way we can do that without alerting Mossad or any agency for that matter."

"I'm not sure. But if I go through the right channels I can avoid detection for long enough to get the info."

"Do it!" ordered Tony, sounding very much the elder Gibbs.

Thusday May 14, 2004

Kristy was convinced that she was being followed. Well maybe stalked was the better word. But whatever it was, it was starting to creep her out. She didn't have any definitive proof but the presence of an unmarked white van was always where she was... including at school.

She really didn't need this extra stress.

Final exams for her junior year were less than two weeks away and a stalker was last thing she needed. She was confident that she would do well on them but only if she focused. A stalker wouldn't let her do that.

The last thing she wanted to do was tell her dad that she was being followed. Whoever it was didn't seem to be that much of a threat because they never approached her. Unless they proved to be more than a nuisance, she vowed to keep this to herself.

Plus, her family seemed to have back-to-back cases lately. This one had to do with an agent from ATF. She had no idea what the case was about but that was normal since they couldn't talk to her about active cases unless it put her in direct danger. So far that had happened.

Her dad and Uncle Tony were rarely home these past two weeks, Uncle Tony more so than her dad thanks to his special agent status. They hadn't even had a family movie night this month yet.

It wasn't like anyone knew who she was after all.

Thursday May 20, 2004

Former Chief of Security Russel sat outside the high school with his camera like he had been doing for the past couple weeks. He was going to make the girl who destroyed his life and reputation pay for what she did to him. It was her fault that he got fired. It was her fault that his wife left him. And it was definitely her fault that no one willing to listen to his side of the story.

He knew where she hung out. He knew who her friends were. He knew where she went to school. And most importantly he knew where she lived.

The only problem was that she never alone and if she was it was always in that maximum security apartment. Russel knew that he didn't have the skills to break in, nor did he know anyone that had the skills.

So he had to find the moment that she was most vulnerable. That just so happened to be during her gym class. It his luck that they were in the middle of a track unit. She was much faster than the rest of the girls in her class despite being smaller.

There was a bit of a blind spot on the track that the coach couldn't see from where she was standing. He scoped out the area the night before and knew it was the only way that he would get his hands on her. He just had to time it perfectly... and make sure she doesn't alert anyone what was going on. It would be very bad if he failed, especially since she was related to so many people that were in law enforcement.

* * *

In spite of the fact that she was a natural athlete, gym had become Kristina's least favorite class. Coach Mercy (which was very ironic since otherwise mercy wasn't even her vocabulary) was pure evil. No one actually knew why the teacher hated her so much.

Add the fact that this unit was the final exam for the class didn't improve Kristina's mood. The only way she would get a passing grade was if she did better than all the junior classes put together... that included the ones that weren't even taught by Mercy.

She was rounding the last lap when she was suddenly grabbed from behind. Unfortunately her mouth was covered before she could properly scream.

"Try something funny and I'll knock you out." Kristina was only slightly surprised that it was Russel that grabbed.

So she did what any teenaged girl with a genius IQ would do, she Kristy bit his hand and elbowed him in the stomach. As soon as he released her mouth she let out a scream that would have made a banshee flinch.

However it didn't last long because Russel knocked her out like he promised... just long enough to get the attention of the other girls. Coach Mercy didn't think anything of it until she noticed that it was taking her best student far too long to get through that last corner.

Running over to the blind spot she saw that Kristy was clumsily thrown over an unknown male's shoulder. Using her only weapon, a shot put of all things, she threw it at the man. This effectively knocked the man unconscious. It also caused Kristy to fall heavily to the ground. She sent the second fastest girl to her office to get the school nurse and to call 911.

* * *

It was a shocked and somewhat concussed Kristy that sat at her dad's desk that afternoon. Ducky was taking good care of her while her family tried to find yet another killer. This time it involved a priest. She wasn't sure if the priest was a suspect or not but it did have Kate all hot and bothered. This was the first time that she really saw her family in action as a crime fighting team.

She was impressed that her grandpa, dad, and uncle could work together and not let their emotions get in the way. It was obvious that was one of the reasons that the team was considered to be the best.

It also made her feel slightly sorry for Russel because whoever was going to do his interrogation was not going to go easy on him.

A/N I know that I said that was going to do episode rewrites to a couple people for _Spilt Decsion _and _A Weak Link _but I really couldn't see how I could change them other than a few small unimportant details.


	35. May 2004 pt 3

CBS and Paramount Pictures own NCIS.

You're to Blame

You are to blame for anything that is good in my heart. You are to blame for this change that has taken me by storm. - Mercy Me

SPOILERS: _Reveille_

Chapter Thirty-five – May 2004 Part 3

Tuesday May 25, 2004

Jethro was used to nightmares. After the things that he had seen and done it was inevitable. But seeing Kate on a autopsy table left him feeling a little unsettled. Not that he let it show. He didn't need his team off their guard because he couldn't control his emotions.

He had spent the night at the office again. They had a first name of their terrorist who may or not not be a terrorist, but there was some discrepancies that he couldn't figure out. His age was one of them. Tony had told him that Ari was at least a year younger than him. So it was possible that it wasn't Ari... or Tony was wrong about Ari's age.

It was more than a little annoying that McGee was at the office while his own team was nowhere to be seen. Sure they weren't expected for another half hour but they had work to do. He needed more than a geek to get it done.... even if he did have a way to prove that it was Ari what's-his-name.

Plus, it was kinda funny to see McGee's reaction to finding out that he slept in Abby's coffin despite the fact that they did more than just sleep.

* * *

For the first time in a very long time, Tony had slept in late. In spite of that, he still went on his daily run, dragging Jeremy with him. He knew that Jeremy never went without him because Jeremy knew that Tony preferred to have company when he went running. He had been like that since he started running with Jethro all those years ago.

It was a bit of a surprise for Jeremy when Tony began chasing after a girl. She was pretty, sure, but Tony hadn't shown any interest in anyone in a while now. But this woman managed to attract his attention. He hated that Tony was faster than him because he was breathing hard by the time he caught up with them. It was the steps that nearly done him in. He managed to hear what they were talking about.

"One of those is Marine One. It flies the president." Jeremy realized that Tony was actually trying to impress the girl.

"Ja?"

"Ja. German?"

"Swedish."

Tony smiled at her. "Even better. Do you speak any English?"

"Ja. Ciao!" She ran off leaving Tony and Jeremy baffled.

* * *

It wasn't everyday that the boss shows up with (very strong) coffee. It was was even rarer that he had Kate do a profile on someone, especially since it should have done months ago when the terrorist possibly named Ari first showed up on their radar. For some reason she would have rather go undercover as Tony DiNozzo's wife. Mostly that was because she really didn't want to answer the question that every wanted answered... Why couldn't she stab him.

"His eyes. I was looking into his eyes and they looked kind."

"They looked kind when he blew out Gerald's shoulder?"

She knew that he was going to react that way and she still answered truthfully. "You asked me why I couldn't stab him and I told you," she said, not caring that she sounded defensive.

"Contrary of conventional wisdom, Kate, eyes can lie. You meet him again, don't forget that."

"I won't." The words were weak. "I won't!" she repeated stronger.

"Profile him."

So she did. She really didn't have much to go since they believed that he was a rouge Mossad agent. It was possible that he was in it for money or revenge but they didn't have any proof for either theory. She was also able to tell him that the possible Ari was intelligent, bold, and willing to take risks. However, it was Jethro that came to the conclusion that he had to face death to feel. That made him more dangerous than any Hamas terrorist.

* * *

Jethro went straight to MTAC when he got back to the office with Kate. He knew that she was concerned about his behavior, and would likely confined in Tony and Jeremy. They probably started talking about him the moment the other two men arrived.

He gave Snyder Ari's name (not including that Tony said that it was possible that he was Eli David's son) but when he got back to him Snyder gave him nothing. Mossad apparently knew absolutely nothing about Ari. Jethro wasn't going to believe that for a minute. If it was Ari, there was no reason for Mossad to give NCIS anything on him. If he was rouge, they would want to take him out themselves.

He wanted answers and right now everything was against him trying to find them. The only way to get those answers was to confirm that Tony was right that their guy really was Ari. Now all he had going for him was McGee's program that might not even work. If he was Mossad they might try to keep his picture off the suspected terrorist list.

* * *

"Gibbs was like this just before his before he ended his last relationship." Ducky, Tony, Jeremy, and Kate were all at lunch. Tony remembered the time period that Ducky was talking about. He wasn't at home very often During that year. But he was got constant calls and text on his secure cell phone nearly everyday from both his dad and Stephanie.

"We can't breakup with him, Ducky." Kate said this in hope for more information about their mysterious boss.

"You wouldn't want to, my dear, no matter how gruff he becomes."

"Hey, maybe he'll take his frustrations out on that mysterious redhead instead of us." He once again didn't let them know that he had briefly met the woman. Though he still had no idea what her name was.

"So who was Gibbs chasing when he was going through that breakup?"

"I really liked her." It was too late to correct himself but he tried to anyways. "I mean, I probably would have liked her. The boss usually has great tastes in women." He said usually because he still didn't know know what he was thinking when he started to date Ginger. "Had to be a redhead."

Kate unexpectedly smacked the back of his head. It took everyone by surprise. Not even Jeremy was brave enough to do that.

"You're not the Boss! You do that again and you're going to be wearing that tuna salad."

Ducky went on with his tale as though he hadn't been interrupted. He would, however, ask Tony later how he knew Stephanie.

"He was after a child murderer. Victim was five. Pretty little thing. A deviate had sexually abused her and then beaten her to death."

That case was another reason for the nonstop calls back in 1999 and early 2000. Jethro repeatedly went over the evidence with him. It was also, evidently, the reason Stan Burley left the team.

"Stuff like that makes me sick. Did Gibbs catch him?"

"Oh, yes. But it took nearly a year. By then a second girl had been murdered. Gibbs was a bit difficult to live with for a while after that."

Tony remembered that it was less than year later that he and Jeremy were assigned to Baltimore. He had nearly returned back to normal during by that time. It was really his constant presence that helped heal the older man.

It was then that the Swed from that morning made another appearance. She jogged pass the table. Without a second thought, he ran after her.

"I better follow him in case he does something stupid." Jeremy tossed down a credit card before running after Tony. He really didn't like this. It was a bit suspicious that the woman just happened to come across them while they were on their lunch.

* * *

Kate realized that she had to leave. She had a meeting with Paula Cassidy. But then a motorcycle pulled up in front of her. The rider lifted his visor. She would recognize those eyes anywhere. It was the terrorist possibly named Ari. She pulled out her badge and commandeered at car to follow the motorcycle.

* * *

McGee still did have anything by the time Jethro was out of MTAC. What he did have was two missing agents and a missing psychologist. They should have been back half an hour ago. Besides, Jeremy knew better than to be late... Tony knew better than to be late.

After going down to autopsy he had a knew clue about whether or not it was Ari. Ducky told him that it was likely that he was a doctor. That narrowed down the criteria by a lot. There were far fewer graduates from medical school in 1994 than college graduates in 1990.

He gave McGee the new criteria before returning to MTAC. Kate wasn't back yet so he spoke to Cassidy in her place. He wanted to know what the two women had to talk about. It was about the case from Little Creek that lead Ari to them.

* * *

Jeremy had a bad feeling about Marta. Her sudden appearance in Tony's life was too convenient. He tried to warn Tony, but as usual he was unheeded. He knew that Tony could take care of himself. All of that Marine training would have been a waste if he couldn't. But Tony didn't have to take care of himself, especially when he always had his six.

Unless of course Jethro was involved. Then Tony was on his own.

"Hey Boss. Uh... McGee said you wanted to seem me. Actually, he said I was under house arrest, But I figured it was just your way of making a point."

"Do I have to tell you the name of the creek you're up without a paddle? Or how deep it is?"

Tony couldn't remember the last time his dad was this pissed at him. Actually, he couldn't remember if his dad had ever been this pissed at him. He couldn't even figure out why he was mad.

"Up to my knee?" He decided not to anger him further... for now.

"Ah. So you're familiar with this creek."

They left MTAC. "Boss. I'm sorry I took a long lunch, but I'm not working a hot case so I didn't think..."

Tony didn't even get a chance to finish the thought. "What's a hot case to you, Tony? Shadowing a tight ass?"

He couldn't believe that he said that. It had been months since he had shown an interest in anyone. "That's not fair, Boss! I put in...."

"Wars not fair, Tony, you of all people should know that. We're at war. Until I relieve you – which may be any moment now – you will fight that war twenty four seven. That includes sleeping, eating, taking a crap. You got it?"

"Yes, sir," answered Tony with military perfection. "Permission to speak?"

"Only if it has to with me catching that bastard that bastard I'm chasing."

"It does."

"Then speak."

"Boss, I know that it's Ari. Don't let this guy become your latest Moby Dick. It's not healthy. Let me get in touch with my contact at NSA. After last summers fiasco, they owe me."

"We need proof, Tony. We can't go to the other agencies in case that this guy really is Mossad."

"Isn't my gut enough? Yours always seems to be."

Jethro calmed slightly. "Tony, you know that I trust your instincts. But if we go to the other agencies without any evidence that it was Ari, we will never get any answers."

* * *

It didn't take Kate's long to realize that she did something royally stupid. Going after the terrorist possibly known as Ari alone was the dumbest idea she had; that included trusting Susanne McNeil. The chances that Ari was alone were astronomically small. A Gibbs slap was the least of what she deserved for her stupidity.

Though she felt that she didn't deserve to be smacked around by the terrorist scum that kidnapped her.

"Caitlin. Did you miss me?" He took notice of the cut on her lip and began to speak in Arabic. For once Kate wished was there to translate for her because the response he got back was also in Arabic.

"I apologize for Bassam's actions."

"At least he didn't blow my shoulder out with a nine mil, Ari." He didn't react to the name. It meant that Tony was right.

"Bassam. Undo her cuff." He turned to Kate as Bassam followed the order. "How is Gerald?"

"Still in rehab. He asks everyday if you're dead yet." She turned around and hit Bassam.

"Satisfied?" asked Ari as Bassam shouted in Arabic at her.

"No. He smacked me twice."

"Being slapped by a woman is twice the insult to Bassam."

"Really? What about being shot by one?" Sarcasm was easily heard in her words.

"Why did Bassam strike her?" He ignored her. Kate found that to be incredibly annoying.

"She would not tell him who was calling her cell."

"Oh, Gibbs called you."

"I'd better call him back, Ari, tell him where I am. He is my boss."

"Of course. But first some ice for your lip. Then you may call him." For some reason Kate believed that.

She was surprised by the gentleness he used while treating her lip. Ari put so much care into it that it reminded her of all the times that she skinned her knee as a child and one of her brothers would make it all better. But Ari wasn't like her brothers. He didn't give a damn about her.... at least that was what she tried to keep telling herself. Ari was a terrorist, he couldn't care about anyone but himself.

What didn't surprise her was the stipulations he placed on her while she made her phone call. She hoped that someone noticed that she said that she had oysters for lunch. Tony and Jeremy would probably notice. They noticed everything.

Tony really didn't need a bullet in his head.

* * *

It was official, Jethro Gibbs had finally lost it. He was far too focused on finding out if it really was Ari. They were making progress but the likelihood of finding Ari was just too slim. They were searching old British yearbooks but that didn't necessarily mean that they would find him. Yearbooks could be altered after all.

"Tony?"

"What?!"

On the computer's screen was a match for Ari Haswari. Tony recognized it as the man he met oh so many years ago.

* * *

Kate was frustrated with Ari's game, literally. He was having her play a game of 'find the pea'. Anyone with any kind of observation skills could do it. As a former Secret Service agent, this was as childish as it could get. It was nothing more than a parlor trick.

Ari still hadn't told her why she was kidnapped. Of course it was _Marta _that she had to convince that it wasn't dumb luck that she kept finding the damn pea.

She pointed to the correct shell for a third time.

"Amazing. How did they teach you to be so observant?"

"Who?"

"The Secret Service."

It was finally dawning on her why she had been taken rather than Tony or Jeremy. "The president is flying to Camp David with Sharon today. I saw those missiles. You want to know which helo is Marine One to shoot it down!"

Ari was mildly impressed. "Those tiny missiles are mere training aids. In any case, I have no intention of shooting down Marine One." Just because he was impressed didn't mean Kate was right.

"You're a lying bastard."

That caused Marta to laugh, though Kate wasn't exactly sure what she was laughing at. It really could have been anything. "Sorry." She apologized once she realized that Ari was glaring at her.

"Unfortunately, half of that is true."

Kate could only guess which half.

* * *

Ari Haswari, son of Doctor Benjamin Weinstein and Doctor Hosmiya Haswari. It didn't make sense. Ari was the son of Eli David. Tony didn't believe in coincidences and there was no way that to different men both named Ari would look so much alike. He was right and now they had the proof that he was right.

Jethro issued his orders, Tony with him and McGee to get a GPS on Kate's cell phone. Jeremy was once again left with nothing to do. Sometimes his role on the team was really boring.

"Kate's at home, Boss."

"She didn't answer her phone. I don't think she ate bad oysters for lunch."

Oysters. That confused Tony. "She had a tuna salad."

That enraged Jethro more than anything that happened that day. "Tony, that bastard's got her."

"Boss...." he didn't like what Jethro meant by that.

"He's got her!"

* * *

Not for the first time, Kate was wishing that they day was over. Marta was dead. Killed by Ari of all people. Nothing really change. Ari didn't have the information that Hamas wanted. And she knew what Tony already speculated... Ari was Mossad.

Yeah, she really wanted this day to be over.

* * *

It wasn't easy to convince Fornell to contact Ari. He wanted a meeting and he wasn't giving up until he got it. Besides, Ari wasn't going to deny him anything. Ari wanted him to believe that he was on their side. Though Jethro wasn't certain who Ari was really working for. In all likelihood, he was working for himself. Jethro didn't know what was worse, Ari being a rouge agent or taking orders from Hamas.

It left Jethro feeling very satisfied when he shot Ari. The shoulder, just like where he shot himself and Gerald. He would get the bastard if it was the last thing he did.

Jethro just hoped that he didn't take anyone down with him.


	36. June 2004

CBS and Paramount Pictures own NCIS.

You're to Blame

You are to blame for anything that is good in my heart. You are to blame for this change that has taken me by storm. - Mercy Me

Chapter Thirty-six – June 2004

Thursday June 3, 2004

What Tony said the day that Ari took Kate was still bothering Ducky. The young agent spoke of Stephanie as though he knew her well. However, that wasn't possible. The couple had went their separate ways long before he and Jethro had even met.

Ducky knew that the duo would never give him answers... at least not honest ones. Anything he said to them would only cause them to close up even more. If he wanted to figure these things out himself he had to keep his opinions quiet and observe.

Tuesday June 8, 2004

It was only the second day of summer vacation and Kristina was already bored. When was a kid school was year round with the exception of taking the entire holiday season off, about six weeks. Now she had six months and had no idea how to fill all of that free time.

Going to the mall like her friends was out of the question. Even with Russel gone the place made her uncomfortable. Besides, the last thing she needed was new clothes.

She then looked at her bookshelves. Almost all of them had been read more than once. Those that hadn't been were either really bad or she had them for less than three years. While most of he foreign books were bought online, her English ones were from various stores. Making a final decision, she grabbed her purse and headed out.

Getting to the bookstore was taking longer than Kristy thought it would. Usually she could rely on Alice or Bree for a ride ever since they got their licenses. However, they bot had boyfriends. This time she had forced to take the train. It wasn't as though she never been on the subway. She usually was with someone when she did.

She decided after only five minutes that she was going to take a cab home. That was no one would stare at her as though she were a piece of meat.

Starting at the front of the store, Kristy randomly flipped through books. She skipped the sports section knowing that nothing would interest her there. Sports were fun to play but she had no desire to read about them.

One of the dangers of shopping alone is that Kristy had the tendency to get so absorbed with all of the books that she loses focus on everything around her, other people included. Which was why she found herself suddenly on the floor surrounded by half a dozen books.

"I'm so sorry." Kristy gathered the books before looking at the person she knocked over. He found herself to be speechless. The man, he looked to be about college-aged, wasn't jaw dropping gorgeous like Matt Damon was in the _Bourne _films but he had a certain cuteness to him. "Um... let me get your books. I'm Kristina, by the way."

"Jimmy," he said as he took the books from her. His glasses were hanging by one ear and Kristy couldn't help but giggle, something that she rarely did. "It was my fault. I wasn't watching where I was going. Let me make it up to you."

"That's OK. You don't have to. I was kinda zoned out myself."

"At least let me buy you a coffee." Kristy was torn. She wasn't really allowed to have coffee too often. Sure the rest of her family were addicts but that didn't mean that she was.

"I guess. But if I get into trouble for it with my dad and uncle I'm blaming you."

"Why would you get into trouble?"

"Dad doesn't want to to stunt my growth. He's in denial that I won't be growing past 5'4". It's actually lucky that I'm this tall considering how short my mom was."

"Just how old are you?" He didn't want her to think that he's less than honorable.

"Fifteen. That's not a problem, is it? I'm mean it's just coffee. Besides if it were more than coffee then I would just get my dad and uncle to hunt you down." It was just a joke but Jimmy seemed to pale at her words. "Relax, I was kidding."

"What do your dad and uncle do?" Jimmy asked as they sat down with their drinks

"Well, dad's a psychologist. Uncle Tony is a federal agent. They both work for NCIS." The then realized that he probably didn't know what NCIS was. No one ever did. She also realized that she told a complete stranger about her family. That was something she never did but it was too late now. "That's Naval―"

"Criminal Investigative Service." Taking in Kristy's surprised expression. "I work there as well. I'm the medical examiner's assistant." He showed her is ID.

"No way. You're Palmer. Uncle Tony told me about you." She was increasingly glad that she didn't mention her Grandpa Jethro. That would have caused chaos.

"That wouldn't happen to be Agent DiNozzo." Kristy nodded as she took a sip of her vanilla espresso. "He's going to kill me."

"Why?" She knew that Tony had killed before but Jimmy seemed to be a harmless and cute geek.

"I gave his favorite niece espresso."

"You really need to relax. Uncle Tony is a teddy bear." She cringed internally. "Don't tell him I said that."

They talked for a few more hours... then Kristina saw the time. It was late. Way later than she had planned to stay out. And since she didn't get a call that the team caught a cases, her dad was probably already home. She had no choice but to beg Jimmy for a ride. It was fortunate that he even had his own car.

When Kristy arrived home Jimmy insisted that walk her up to her apartment. She tried to tell him that it was a bad idea.

"Hey, Daddy. I'm home." She deposited her new books on the couch.

The instant Kristina saw Jeremy she knew that he was angry. "Where have you been?"

"Bookstore. I kinda ran into a friend and lost track of time."

"Which friend?" As far as Jeremy knew Kristy only had two friends that she would hang out with during the summer.

"Jimmy. Jimmy Palmer. He is a friend." No one but Kristy noticed that Jimmy was standing behind the door. "Get in here Jimmy!"

"Um... Hi. Uh... I have to get going. Lots of studying to do."

Kristina rolled her eyes. "It's summer. Besides, you're having dinner with us as a thank you for driving me home."

It was that moment that Tony decided to arrive. He had his usual smile on his face. "Hey Kristy. When did you get home?" He didn't see Jimmy standing a few feet away.

"Just now. Jimmy gave me a ride home."

"Jimmy?" He noticed the younger man.

Kristy explained how she met Jimmy and how he was kind enough to give her a ride. All the while Tony was sniffing.

"You had coffee."

"Only one cup." He glared. "It was a grande. I swear." Tony raised an eyebrow. "With an extra shot of espresso." The eyebrow lowered. "I'm grounded, aren't I?"

"Big time," said Jeremy. "So, pizza for dinner OK with you Jimmy."

Thursday June 17, 2004

Kate was bored. The whole team had been assigned cold cases by Director Morrow while they didn't have active cases.

She was also irritated. Tony had constantly been bombarding her with wads of paper. Gibbs was in MTAC so he wasn't around to control him. She learned a while ago that he'll stop if she ignored him... eventually. There was also the chance that her sanity may not be intact by the end of it.

It didn't help that her concentration wasn't on the cold cases. Ari Haswari was on her mind when she couldn't keep busy. Sometimes she even caught herself calling out his name in the middle of the night. The good thing about this dry spell in cases meant that it was less likely that she'd fall asleep at the office. Tony would never let her live in peace if he knew about that. The Senior Agent already believed that she was in love with Ari.

However, they weren't cries of passion but rather agony as she continually watched him kill her or one of her teammates, usually Jeremy or Ducky. Gibbs was also a regular in her dreams. She didn't and wouldn't admit it, but she was afraid of Ari. He was far better protected here in the States than anywhere else.

She knew that it wasn't the last that they saw of him. Kate didn't know whether or not that was a good thing or not. It was likely that if Ari did show up again. When he did she knew that he wouldn't survive for long if he does something to piss off Gibbs.

Shaking her head she went back to her file. It didn't take her long to realize that she had no idea what the case was about. She flipped to the first page hoping that no one noticed.

Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on how you looked at it, Gibbs said those three fated words as soon he arrived in the bullpen.

"Grab your gear!"

* * *

Tony silently huffed as he tossed his pack behind his desk. They had to drive six hours to the crime scene just to have Ducky declare that it was a suicide. Sure they had to treat every death as though it was a homicide but it was obvious since the poor recruit (who hadn't even started basic training yet) was hanging from a tree with a chair tipped over a few feet from where she was hanging.

Morrow could have sent out one of the other teams to take care of it. But it seemed as though he was only going to give them easy cases. Tony had to admit that he was thankful for that. The team did need to recuperate after the year they just had.

And if that meant going out in the middle of nowhere in West Virginia then Tony was willing to do it... as long as was only short term.

Saturday June, 26, 2004

It was the last day of Kristy's grounding. In addition of not being allowed to read her new books, she couldn't choose movies when they had family movie night. She also couldn't watch when they showed anything with a rating of anything higher that PG. That limited her to watching kiddie movies. Not something that she particularly enjoyed. Sure she thought that they were cute but so did Tony.

She practically had to beg that _Chasing Liberty _was the first filmed they watched before being sent to bed. Jeremy still wouldn't let her watch anything rated R unless he had seen it first to make sure there wasn't anything too graphic.

"So," asked Sam after putting the kids to bed, "how does it feel to no longer grounded?"

"Great. I actually leave the house without an ankle bracelet."

Sam and Alex were appalled. "You didn't actually put a GPS monitor on her, did you?"

Jeremy chuckled. "No, I just tracked her phone. She never goes anywhere without out it."

"He also tracked Ali and Bree."

"Hey, I did have their parents' permission."

Kristy huffed. "See how little trust I get from him."

"Well, you did break the rules. As soon as Addison and Antoine are old enough I'll probably ask Tony and Jeremy to the for her. The same with the other kids."

"Consider yourself lucky kiddo," said Tony. "Dad was a whole lot stricter with me than Jeremy is wit you. He always had to know where I went when he was home."

"Don't go putting ideas in my dad's head. I don't need him to go all prison guard on me."

"Keep talking like that and we won't be watching your movie."

"Yes, Dad."

Wednesday June 30, 2004

Tony woke when he suddenly heard a thump. Looking at his clock, which read 11:54, he knew that it wasn't family. They had the sensibility to call that late at night, including Jeremy. Even when they had a case in the middle of the night, he would get a call instead of someone coming over.

Instinct lead him to grabbing his gun. His hallway was declared clear as he sent a 911 to Jeremy. His first priority was to get Kristy out of the building.

His living room was also clear of intruders. He quickly moved to the kitchen. The last person he expected to ever see again was sitting at his table sipping a glass of his favorite orange juice.

"Hello, Tony. I don't suppose you have anything stronger around here."

A/N I know this is a lot shorter to my usual stanard but this chapter has a lot of important information in it.

Also, a brownie to anyone who can guess why I choose_ Chasing Liberty. _


	37. July 2004

CBS and Paramount Pictures own NCIS.

You're to Blame

You are to blame for anything that is good in my heart. You are to blame for this change that has taken me by storm. - Mercy Me

Chapter Thirty-seven – July 2004

Thursday July 1, 2004

Tony didn't show any outward reaction to the woman sitting in his kitchen. He also didn't lower his gun either. She seemed to expect that and just took another sip of her drink.

"Hello, Agent Kader. May I ask why you are in my apartment.... at midnight?"

Mariana Kader paled at that. "Yeah, about that, can you not tell my director that I was here?"

"That depends on what you tell me." Tony was surprised by how cold he sounded.

"I simply came to warn you that I don't think that NSA is done with you yet. After the last time you were... recruited I was severely demoted for what I did to you. So I really don't know what's going on. I do know that it somehow involves you."

Tony suspected something like the moment he saw Kader. Though he had wished that she knew more. But he believed her.

"I refuse to help." He folded his arms across his chest, finally taking his gun off from her.

Kader sighed. "You may not have have a choice. My director has been talking to your director. They are still negotiating but I believe that you'll have your orders early next week."

"My boss is not going to be happy about that. Morrow know how possessive Jethro Gibbs can be when it comes to me."

That caused a laugh. It was one of things that drew him to her in the first place. Everyone knows that, Tony." She kissed his cheek. "I have to go. I left my number under the juice." She laughed again. "You really need to something stronger."

* * *

As it turned out Jethro had no idea that Morrow had been talking to the NSA's director, Edward Mortimer. He had no clue what Mortimer could possibly want from Tony. The kid didn't owe them anything. If anything, they owed him a huge favor for taking out that militia.

That was when the truth hit home. The only reason why NSA would want Tony again would because of that militia. He couldn't think of why the militia would still require Tony's attention. It had been months since the incident (kidnapping) happened.

Sunday July 4, 2004

It was a family tradition to see the fireworks in Washington whenever they could. Unfortunately that wasn't possible this year. Too many eyes were looking at them. Namely the NSA. Jethro knew only bad things could happen if the NSA found out about the family.

However there was one little problem, Kristy refused to miss the show. Ever since moving to DC permanently, she hadn't missed the fireworks once. And since half of the kids in the Hayes family had stomach aches from eating too many hot dogs, this included Alex, there was no way that Kristy would be allowed to go. It was too dangerous to let a fifteen-year-old to stay out that late, especially at Anacostia park.

Kristy came up with the perfect solution... in her mind at least. She would have Jimmy Palmer as her escort for the evening. Jeremy, on the other hand, wasn't too fond of that idea. He didn't think that it was appropriate for his fifteen-year-old daughter to go gallivanting with a man seven years her senior. The claims that Jimmy was her friend went unheeded because the two of them had only met on one occasion. It didn't matter to Jeremy that they had spent hours with each other during that one meeting.

However, Tony was a pushover when it came to his eldest godchild, well, he was a pushover for all of his godchildren but that wasn't the point, and he was loathe to allow Kristy to be unhappy over something as silly as the fireworks. He may not have liked that she was hanging out with an older boy but he also knew that Jimmy Palmer was a good kid and wouldn't do anything to the girl.

Though when Jimmy came over to pick her up, both men threatened severe bodily harm if even one hair on Kristy's head was missing. If Jimmy hadn't been afraid of the agent and psychologist before he certainly was now.

Kristy avoided doing everything that would have made Jimmy believe that she thought that they were on a date. She even kept a respectable distance between them and paid her for everything that she planned to keep for herself... including the incredibly expensive glow-sticks that only worked for a few hours at most.

She had to admit that she was having fun. But since he was given the instruction (multiple times to Kristy's annoyance) not to mention any of the work he did for NCIS, he told her about his time in college. She applied to only colleges in the DC area, going no further that Baltimore, and wanted his impressions of the schools that she was considering. He told her that her choice of college largely depended on her major.

That scared Kristy because she had no idea what she wanted to major in. She understood why Tony chose George Washington all those years ago. GW did have a great criminology department. But she didn't know if she wanted to go into law enforcement like the rest of her family. Though she knew without a shadow of a doubt that she wasn't going to be a lawyer. Grandpa Jethro had more rules involving lawyers than anything else. The reason behind those rules were still undisclosed to her.

When she was younger all she wanted was to go to college just so that one day she could one day join FLETC. Now, she wasn't so sure about that. She knew that she had an amazing brain that shouldn't be put to waste. But it was just impossible for her to decide what she wanted to use that brain for.

Jimmy had told her to focus on her strengths that she enjoyed using and use that to help her decide what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. He also told her not to rush it... she was still only fifteen after all.

Tuesday May 6, 2004

When Mariana told Tony early the next they thought, or rather hoped, that she meant Monday. The reason for the delay was understandable, Director Mortimer wanted to spend time with his family on the holiday. They just so happened to be in New Mexico and he didn't get a flight back until late evening on the fifth.

So it wasn't really a surprise when Director Morrow called Jethro to MTAC. Jethro nodded at Tony to follow him. Jeremy and Kate went to get up as well.

"You two stay down here. None of this concerns you." Kate let out an irritated huff about being left out of something obviously important. Jeremy, however, knew that he was going to get the info later. They just didn't want Morrow to know that he was going to know what was going on. It was better that way.

Up in MTAC, Director Mortimer was already on the screen waiting for them. Behind them was a rather chastised looking Agent Mariana Kader. Obviously he found about her little side trip to Tony's apartment. Tony couldn't help but feel sorry for her. She was only doing what she thought was right.

After the unnecessary introductions, Mortimer went straight to the point.

"I'm guessing that after last week's late night visit by Agent Kader here that you know why I wish to speak to you Agent DiNozzo."

"Actually, no, sir, I don't. Agent Kader only told me that you were interested in seeing me for some kind of assignment. She didn't tell me what it was about. I don't even think that she even fully knew at the time why you're still so interested in my talents."

"Very well then. Late last month a man claiming to be leader of the militia that you and Agent Gibbs helped disband came forward. He told us that he would turn himself in if you, Agent DiNozzo, were the one to, as he put it, 'book him'."

"Why now? I haven't had anything to do with taking down that militia since last year."

"Apparently he's running out of money and people with money to fund the arms trade that he was dealing with. The group that you took out was small potatoes compared to some of the dealers he bought from."

"But that doesn't explain why me." Tony crossed his arms in a similar fashion as that horrible Thursday that Kader told him that NSA wanted him again... well Tony could technically say morning. It was much easier now that he wasn't holding his gun.

"He said that he was impressed with you. You're the only agent that caused any real damage to his cause. You're the reason that he no longer has financial support."

"Do we have a name?" asked Gibbs.

"I'm afraid not. He was reluctant to give it to anyone other that Agent DiNozzo."

Tony winced internally. He really hoped that this wasn't going to turn into another incident like they had with Ari.

"When and where?" Tony reluctantly asked. He knew that there was no way he was going to get out of this this one.... no matter how much his gut was yelling at him that this was a really bad idea.

Thursday July 8, 2004

Waiting for the leader of a now nonexistent militia was the last thing Tony wanted to do on his thirty-third birthday. Well, he actually would have been doing anything else than waiting for the leader of the nonexistent militia.

He and Agent Kader, who they somehow managed to convince the leader of the nonexistent militia to be allowed to join Tony, were both hooked up with the NSA's best surveillance equipment. None of it was noticeable unless someone knew exactly what they were looking for. It wasn't likely that the leader would tell them to take off all of their clothes so the tiny camera in his USMC tiepin would be removed. Tony was going for ironic when he picked out the design of the pin.

For some unknown reason, the only NCIS agent involved, other that Jethro of course, was Tim McGee. He was told that under any circumstances was he to leave the surveillance van. It could compromise the entire operation. When McGee asked whether to 'circumstances included someone being shot, he was shook to his core when he was given an affirmative in response.

The leader told NSA to send the two of them to an abandoned warehouse. Tony couldn't help but roll his eyes at the cliché. It was always an abandoned something, warehouse just seemed to be the most common avenue.

It didn't take long for either of them to become bored. Conversation was their only distraction since it would have been stupid to become distracted for even a moment.

"You know Tony, if it counts for anything, I really did like you." Tony looked at Kader skeptically. "It's true. If it weren't for the job I wouldn't have minded getting to know you."

"Why didn't you just tell me that you wanted me for a case? It was NCIS jurisdiction."

"Your boss's reputation for one thing. Even the lowliest agent at NSA knows about the papa bear protectiveness Agent Gibbs has for his agents, especially you in particular."

"No one wanted to risk that my boss would refuse to let me go on that mission."

"Exactly. I know that I was wrong doing what I did to you. However, I think the endgame was worth it."

It was quiet for a moment. "I really liked you too. I still won't date you but I can like you."

Only a minute later a dark sedan, a Ford Taurus, pulled up in front of them. Keeping his hand on his gun, Tony exited the car. Mariana walked to the other side of the car so that she stood next to Tony.

What happened next was too fast. Tony heard the gunshots. He saw that the gun was pointed at him. But he didn't feel the pain that was usually associated with being shot. It only took him a second to register Mariana on the ground. Her Kevlar vest had failed. They can usually withstand being shot maybe twice without giving. But there was at least four bullets in the vest.

Tony shot a round into the man's head. He didn't look like he was a leader to a powerful band of former sailors and Marines. He didn't look like he could have lasted a day in basic. But now he was dead and it was up to Ducky and Abby to figure out who he was.

It was a bit of a surprise to find McGee running towards them as fast as he could. Though it wasn't a surprise to see him shaking his head while checking the other agent for a pulse.

Saturday July 10, 2004

Tony stayed at the office during Mariana's funeral. Jeremy sat at his desk, hoping that Tony would tell him what exactly happened on that mission. He guessed but he wanted Tony to tell him his version of events.

Jeremy didn't like how quiet Tony had gotten the past few days. It was unnatural.

"C'mon, let's hit a few bars. Celebrate your birthday a few days late."

"I don't feel up to going out."

"You sure. You can always just poke up at my lack of social skills despite my occupation."

That elicited a small smile. "Alright, but you're paying."

"Fine, but you're telling me what happened on Thursday."

Tony chuckled darkly. "Just don't shrink me... not about this."

A/N I'm actually surprised by how many people thought it was either Tony's biological father or one of the Davids. I thought that would have been a little too obvious of a guess and as many of you loyal readers know, I hate being too obvious. Though since I left the thing with the militia without an conclusion, I thought someone would have thought of Mariana.

And congrats to those who guessed right as to why I chose _Chasing Liberty_ last chapter.


	38. August 2004

CBS and Paramount Pictures own NCIS.

You're to Blame

**You are to blame for anything that is good in my heart. You are to blame for this change that has taken me by storm. - Mercy Me**

Chapter Thirty-eight – August 2004

Tuesday August 3, 2004

Kate was worried. It wasn't as though that was unusual but this was a different kind of worried. The worst part was that she couldn't even hide just how worried she was. She knew that she was usually really good at hiding her more negative emotions. This time was different.

For the past few weeks Tony hadn't been acting... well, like Tony. It wasn't normal to see him do focused on one thing. Kate had always compared him to a kid in a candy store. Eyes and hands trying to take in everything at once.

This new Tony was too quiet, too sad. It was as though the life had been sucked out of him and he was replaced by a pod-person. He was constantly either going over some mysterious transcripts or up in MTAC. More often than not, Gibbs was with him.

It seemed as though everyone knew what was going on but her. Everyone included Tim McGee. She didn't know what his role was but she was determined to figure it out. Out of everyone, McGee was the only one that she knew that she could intimidate enough to get any information out of... that is after she politely asked Abby for the same questions that she was planning to ask McGee.

For once, Abby was surprisingly tight-lipped about what she knew. The younger woman hated lying more than anything. It was one of the essential rules that had to be followed if anyone wanted to survive long at NCIS, never lie to Abby. But thinking back to the conversation she had with her she had to admit that Abby didn't lie once. It was true that she couldn't tell her what she knew because she wasn't entirely sure what she did know.

That was the reason she totally bypassed going to Ducky for information. He may have known something but wasn't sure what he knew and wasn't likely to tell anyone what he knew until he knew what he knew.

Now Kate had a headache.

She knew that she had to wait until the weekend to confront McGee. It would cause suspicion if she went all the way to Norfolk during the week.

Saturday August 7, 2004

It didn't take Kate very long to realize that she had no idea where McGee lived. After an hour of driving around the seaside town, Kate gave up trying to find him. Though that was mostly because she didn't even know what kind of car he drove.

Fortunately, or rather due to dumb luck, she saw the man she had been hunting down for the past few hours coming out of a grocery store.

"Hey, McGee!" Kate called. She shook her head incredulously as he wildly looked around for whoever called his name.

"Kate? What are you doing here?"

"I have a few questions for you." She tried to make herself sound innocent but failed miserably. Now, McGee knew that he could be naïve but the way she was acting had him alert.

"OK. What do want to know?"

"You remember that mission that you went on last month?" McGee nodded. "Can you tell me about it?"

"I'm sorry Kate, I can't. Agents DiNozzo and Gibbs gave me orders not to say anything to anyone about that mission. I could lose my job if I did. Besides, I don't really know that much. The guy they were waiting for didn't even show up."

Sunday August 8, 2004

Tony wasn't too happy with the prospect of doing nothing. Samantha had given him, Jethro, and Jeremy an order to take the day off (in Jeremy's case also away from his daughter). Where she got the authority to give such an order to two highly trained special agents and a psychologist was anyone's guess. But the gleam in her eyes made so that no one disobeyed her.

Alex complained to the three other men that his wife was obsessing more than a little that he brought home a bottle of ketchup. She had reminded him no less than six times that they were out and once again Tony picked him.

It was completely against her character to be so repetitive.

What was even more odd was the fact that Samantha had called Tony's cell to remind Alex once again about the ketchup. Sure probably would have called Alex's phone if he had remembered to grab it before heading out the door, or rather shoved as he put it.

The incessant reminding also had Alex more than a little annoyed, especially after she called Tony. Not once had he ever forgotten to bring something home when she asked.

No one else thought that it was a brilliant idea to buy the biggest bottle of ketchup that he could find. It shouldn't've mattered how big of a family they had, sixty-four ounces was a bit excessive since not everyone (Peyton and Antoine) liked ketchup. Riley was still too young, in Alex's mind, to decide whether she liked it since it seemed as though she changed her mind every other week that she liked the condiment or not.

It shocked the four men that Samantha didn't even react to the overly large bottle. In fact, she was thrilled with what they bought. That lead to one question to everyone's minds but only one man was brave enough to voice it.

"Are you pregnant again?" That earned Tony a head slap for being tactless.

Monday August 9, 2004

Kate had to admit that Tony seemed to be a little more relaxed since she had saw him on Friday. There was still an underlining of sadness in his eyes but there was more of the mischievousness that she had come to associate with Tony.

That didn't mean that she was giving up on finding out what was going on.

The three men on the team were actually expecting a confrontation much sooner. They were very thankful that they had as much time as they did in order to come to terms what they could and couldn't tell her. It didn't take Tony, who really was in charge of the operation now that Kader was dead, long to decide to give her the bare minimum.

Tony brought them down to Abby's lab were they had at least a little privacy. He didn't want any of the other teams to know about who badly he messed up the mission.

"A little less than a year ago I was approached to go under at a militia camp to try to shut it down and possibly find out who their leader was. First part was accomplished successfully with mostly only minor injuries on our side..."

Jethro scowled at Tony as he slapped him. "You nearly got killed on that mission."

"I did say 'mostly'." Jethro's scowl only deepened. "Hey, you did manage to save me before anyone could permanently damage me. Besides, it really wasn't my fault..... Anyways, I failed to learn who the leader was."

"Apparently, though, he knows Tony," said Jeremy.

Tony ignored him and continued as though he hadn't been interrupted. "Last month I was approached again because there was a lead to who the leader was. The lead was a trap and my associate was killed. I managed to get the bastard but he wasn't out guy."

"Is that what McGee was involved with?"

They didn't even question who Kate knew that and only nodded.

"May I ask a question?"

"Ask away, Ducky. There's no guarantee that I can answer."

"Is there a possibility that Ari is behind all your woes?"

"No. The group I went after last year was an anti-Bush militia. While Ari gave the appearance of going after President Bush, there was no actual evidence that he was."

For the first time since the team appeared in her domain, Abby spoke up. "So, what do we have on this guy?"

Wednesday August 11, 2004

This was the only day that Samantha's OB/GYN, Dr. Loraine Savage, could fit Samantha into her busy schedule. Truthfully, it didn't surprise the doctor that Sam thought that she was pregnant again. The length of time between pregnancies also wasn't a surprise. Riley would be four by the time Sam had this one.

The tests didn't take long and, as per usual, Dr. Savage said that one of the nurses would call her as soon as they had the results.

Friday August 13, 2004

No one knew just how McGee, who Abby insisted would be a huge help and deserved to know what was happening since he was sorta involved anyways, found out who the leader (who wasn't much of a leader) of the militia was. Sure McGee tried to explain what he did but the technobabble only served to confuse all those who didn't go to MIT. And frankly, no one really cared.

Jethro was furious that their suspect was just an ordinary man named Marion Black. He had no record, not even a parking ticket. What was even more infuriating was the fact that Black had absolutely no connection to any of the armed forces much less to the Marine Corps.

It was early when Jethro and Tony went to pick him up. Jethro usually would have sent Kate but he didn't want Black to even know that she even existed just in case she became a target as well if they couldn't convince a judge this was the guy that ordered the death of a federal agent and ended up killing another one instead. Not knowing if Ari was going to come after her again was bad enough. She didn't need the added threat.

Anti-Bush paraphernalia was all over the walls at Black's house. There was even a dartboard that had Bush's face on it with several holes in the picture. Not exactly legal since it could be considered to be a death threat against the President but it wasn't conspiracy to commit murder either.

But if Jethro had any say, Marion Black would have to spend a really long time in prison for what he did and tried to do to Tony. Unfortunately, unknown to Kate and the others, the NSA claimed that Black was their jurisdiction and they would be trying him.

* * *

Samantha sat in the kitchen shocked by what the doctor had told her. She was indeed pregnant... very pregnant. She knew that multiples ran in her husband's family, Andy and Randy were proof enough of that. Plus Alex's grandfather was a twin.

But she wasn't have twins.

The word triplets scared Samantha more than anything. She knew that there's was a possibility of multiples when she got older but three was too many to have at once. Only telling the family scared her more.

The nurse had told her that Dr. Savage had an opening that morning thanks to a last minute cancellation and could fit in a sonogram. That was before telling Sam that she was pregnant. Not wanting to wait, she agreed.

Now she regretted that decision. She would have much happier just knowing that she pregnant. Seeing three babies on the screen caused her to to paler than even the worst of her morning sickness.

Saturday August 14, 2004

No one knew what Tony was thinking when he showed up at their movie night with a bunch of baby related movies, including the 1994 movie _Baby's Day Out, _when it was clear that Sam was still getting used to the idea of being pregnant again.

On the plus side it clued the older children in on the fact that their mom was once again expecting. On the downside it caused those same children to groan at the fact that they were having yet another sibling. Addison in particular was unhappy about it. She was even more unhappy when they were told it was triplets. It meant that they were moving again.

Darby protested a move once she learned that they couldn't take her precious tree with them.

Monday August 23, 2004

There was a definite downside to having things going back to normal, or rather the NCIS definition of normal, and that was the paper wad fight that Jeremy and Tony were currently having. Especially since Kate was the one caught in the middle of said fight.

She had gotten used to the quiet and the fact that she could get her work down in peace. As much as she hated thinking it, she hoped for a case to keep the two men occupied.

A/N The story about the ketchup is partly from real life. No I'm not pregnant nor am I married. Last weekend my dad kept nagging me to bring home ketchup when I went out with a friend. I don't have a cell phone so he called hers instead to remind me (for the tenth time) to bring home the condiment. I really did buy a 64 oz. bottle though.

I also didn't plan on making Samantha pregnant again. To tell the truth, this whole chapter was written today.


	39. September 2004

CBS and Paramount Pictures own NCIS.

You're to Blame

You are to blame for anything that is good in my heart. You are to blame for this change that has taken me by storm. - Mercy Me

Spoilers:_ See No Evil_

Chapter Thirty-nine – September 2004

Wednesday September 1, 2004

It didn't occur to anyone that Kristy should have been in driver's ed during the summer until she started school the previous week. Kristy didn't mind the late start. She didn't like the the idea of going to the classes while everyone was so tense. Just because she didn't understand why everyone was walking on an invisible tightrope didn't mean she didn't notice.

There was also the question of who would actually the one who took her out. The thought of Tony or Jethro teaching her terrified Jeremy. He trusted them with her life but driving was another story all together. Plus, statistically, it was less stressful to have a non-family member teach her.

The three men balked when Kristy mentioned that Jimmy Palmer could teach her. It was a joke but no one could deny that he was a good driver... despite constantly getting lost. Although Tony suspected that might have something to do with―

"Ducky. He'd be perfect yo teach you."

Kristy's eyes widened. "No way. You know that I adore Ducky, Uncle Tony, but that would be the worst thing ever. Can you imagine the stories? It wouldn't be very conductive for learning experience if he keeps prattling on about how he learned how to drive. He'll likely mention numerous war torn countries that he had learn evasion techniques."

There was a brief pause. "Kate will do it," said Jethro as though it was a fact.

Thursday September 2, 2004

It wasn't often that Jethro had the day off on his birthday, even when it's on a weekend. This year Morrow had all but ordered the men on the team to take a long weekend (Kate had unfortunately had to work) Forty-eight was something that many not too many field agents got to see before they are forced to retire. It was only the fact that his fitness levels were better than many of the other agents his age. It didn't hurt that he probably could still out run Tony... and everyone knew how fast he was when he put his mind to it.

But being forty-eight meant that he really just wanted to stay home for the day and work on his boat. Whether his sons (and strangely enough he did consider Jeremy his son) would join him was up to them.

He wasn't into the bar scenes like the two younger men. He would go, usually to a cop bar, but that was only after a particularly tough case. It didn't really matter to him that wasn't tasteful to drink alone in his basement. Very rarely did he get truly drunk.

Plus after what happened last year with Mariana.... he knew the chances of that happening again were slim but with Tony he didn't want to risk it. Realistically, he knew that his birthday had nothing to do with the meeting but.... it was Tony the danger magnet.

In all likelihood the boys would try to force him out of the house... they most likely would recruit Abby since they knew that he couldn't resist her sparkling green eyes.

He shook his head when he realized the weakness. Tony also had green eyes, though it was easier to be manipulated by Abby than Tony. It just wasn't by much. He probably would have been a goner if he ever met a redhead with green eyes.

Tony probably would get him to go a nice restaurant that, if he hadn't had the DiNozzo fortune, he wouldn't have been able to afford under normal circumstances. Tony wouldn't wander off on his own at a restaurant like he would at a bar. He had one of the nicer suits that Tony bought him hanging in the master bath just in case he needed it.

However Abby and the boys decided to surprise him with a meal cooked by the three of them at home. Well Abby and Tony cooked while Jeremy decorated the table. The elder brother still managed to mangle even macaroni and cheese. The kind from a box not the gourmet stuff that the rest of the family preferred, meaning what Tony made when he had the time.

It had been a while since the four of them just sat down for a family dinner. It seemed as though they all did their own thing without consulting the others if they had plans. To be honest, they had to admit that they all missed the family gatherings that they used to have. Just having them on special occasions just wasn't enough.

Jethro speared a grilled shrimp and smiled. For the first time in years he felt content with what he had. He would always wish that Shannon and Kelly were with him but watching his family as it was, was enough.

Saturday September 4, 2004

Kate wasn't sure how she was manipulated into teaching Kristy Parkinson how to drive, but did know that she was manipulated. No way was this part of her job title. Back in the Secret Service something like this wasn't done.

But here she was, sitting next to the fifteen-year-old, explaining the ins and outs of driving. The poor teen was half asleep with boredom.

"Agent Todd, I know how to drive... well at least the mechanics behind it."

"This isn't something that you can learn out of a book. I'm guessing that you tried." Kate was internally laughing at the girl. The only reason that she wasn't laughing out loud was because Kristy would likely report her to Gibbs if she did.

"So what if I did? It can't be too hard. My friends have been doing it for two years and neither of them are as smart as I am."

Kate ignored just how conceited that sounded coming from the teen considering, from what she heard from Gibbs, Kristy was probably smarter than herself. "Sorry to tell you, but all of your smarts won't be much help to you in the actual driving. The written test will probably be a breeze for you. You have photographic memory, right?"

"Something like that."

"It takes a lot more than knowing what each of the street signs mean in order to be a good driver."

"I know that." Kristy sighed. "Can we get started?" She didn't wait for Kate to answer before turning on Jeremy's, seldom used, truck.

In most cases Tony and Jeremy would laugh when they saw Kate paler than a ghost, but since they knew the cause, they were a little more sympathetic. Tough Tony did quirk an eyebrow when he saw that she was shacking.

"Are you alright?" asked Jeremy.

The men were worried when Kate didn't say anything for a full minute. "Never again. That child is a demon behind the wheel."

"What happened?" Tony was seriously trying to hold back his snickering. No one had ever described Kristy as a demon before. Well once but that didn't count since the woman was from Children Services.

"My life flashed before my eyes. Multiple times. That demon-child is a worse driver than you are Tony. Heck, she's worse than Gibbs on a good day. I didn't know that was even possible."

"What happened?" Tony repeated.

Kate paled even more.

"I may have been a little more willing to show off my evasive driving techniques than Agent Todd was ready for."

Jeremy snorted. "I told you not to emulate Jethro's driving. It wasn't necessary."

"Necessary, no. Fun beyond reason, definitely."

"Kristy!"

"What? It wasn't as though I was putting anyone in danger."

Jeremy turned to Kate. "I suppose you now understand why I don't want to teach her."

"We were in an empty parking lot. I have no idea that you could use evasive driving techniques in an empty parking lot. Never again. I don't care what Gibbs says. Never again." With that Kate left the apartment, still looking pale.

"Now, whose going to teach you?" Jeremy growled at his daughter.

Said teen merely shrugged and grabbed her dad's phone to call in for pizza.

Sunday September 12, 2004

Since Kate was unwilling, and emotionally scarred from the experience, to go out with Kristy again Jeremy had to find a different unlucky soul to take the 'demon-child' out. Abby, even after hearing about Kate's adventure, agreed to take her. She had taught her baby brother how to drive and felt that Kristy wouldn't be as bad.

She was wrong.

Admittedly not much could scare Abby. Kristy managed to change that. Less than two hours later they were back at the apartment. The goth didn't say a word but did hand Jeremy a letter of resignation before leaving the confused teenager and parent. Abby muttered something about going to go see some nuns.

For her part, Kristy wasn't sure what she did to scare off Abby. She didn't use any of Grandpa Jethro's evasive driving techniques. Though she guessed that it was likely that Abby didn't like nearly ramming into street signs... multiple times.

But honestly it wasn't her fault. The signs just jumped out at her at the most unexpected times.

Saturday September 18, 2004

Much to Kristy's displeasure, it was Ducky who was the next candidate to teach Kristy how to drive. It wasn't the best match since Ducky insisted that they drove his Morgan. The three-wheeled car made Kristy decidedly uncomfortable. She absolutely refused to go faster the ten miles an hour in the tiny car.

Jeremy had to take pity on her and told Ducky that it wasn't working out when Kristy called him only after fifteen minutes in the car.

Sunday September 19, 2004

"We can hire a personal driver," Kristy proclaimed that night at dinner.

Jeremy pulled her into a one-armed hug and kissed the top of her head. "Not going to happen Kiddo." He let her go. "Well find a match to teach you."

"It could have been Kate if Kristy hadn't scared her off," said Jethro as he put down a bowl of green beans on the table.

"I didn't do it on purpose, ya know? Though it really fun watching her nearly wetting herself."

"Kristy!"

"What? If she couldn't handle me being a little... aggressive, then it's her fault. I thought that she would have used to it by now with the way you and Uncle Tony drives, Grandpa."

Sunday September 26, 2004

Even after all the horror stories, and several references as the demon-child, Jimmy Palmer took up the mantle to teach Kristy how to drive. Jeremy was a little reluctant to hand over the keys to his beloved truck. OK, he was very reluctant to hand over the keys.

But he was their only option unless he wanted to subject Alex to Kristy's so called driving skills. He valued his friendship far too much to do that to Samantha. She needed her husband in one piece after they have eight kids running around.

Surprisingly Palmer was far more patient and a whole lot braver than the other three that tried to teach Kristy how to drive. The young man was an amazing teacher even though he never taught anyone before.

Jimmy told Kristy exactly what she had to do without making it seem like he was bossing her around... which was once of the problems she had with Kate. He didn't continuously chatter about, distracting her from the road like Abby had. That probably was why she kept nearly hitting those street sighs. And she was comfortable in the truck, something that was impossible with the Morgan.

It really was just a joke when Kristy suggested that Jimmy teach her but it seemed as though that was how it should have been since the whole ordeal began.

Now if only Kristy didn't have that rather obvious (to everyone other that Jimmy that is) crush then it wouldn't have been so bad.

Wednesday September 29, 2004

It really was disgusting what some people would do for money. Sacrificing your family was the worst thing anyone could do in Jethro's opinion.

Sadly it was something that he had seen a long time ago with Tony. DiNozzo Senior was willing to do anything for a dollar and now it seemed as though Captain Watson was willing to do the same.

Men like that didn't deserve to have children as precious as Sandy, a beautiful little girl with an immeasurable talent for the piano, or a loving and loyal wife like Jill. Men like that never should have had families to begin with if all they were going to do was misuse them.

Jethro kept a closer eye on his sons for any signs that they were affected by the captain's betrayal of his own family. Tony was a showing immense anger behind his eyes. For now, while Kate was watching, he didn't let it out. Jeremy didn't look like he even cared. But then again, Jeremy had always been able to hide his emotions better than Tony could ever hope for. Sure Tony could hide them while he was undercover but afterward he was a raging mass of emotion that just had to be released or he would go insane.

Jethro knew that he would be having house guests that night and prepared the two bedrooms for his boys. They were going to need the comfort of home for the next few days and Jethro was more than willing to provide it....

As long as he didn't have to take Kristy driving.

They spoke of anything other than what Watson did to his family that night, including the decision of making McGee a full time agent on the team. They needed to forget the evil that some men would do and remember that their dad would never do that to them.

Because, no matter that Sandy called the man 'daddy' he wasn't. Watson was a father, a designation, like DiNozzo Senior and the elder Parkinson were.

A/N I would just like to remind y'all to review... not that I'm putting any pressure an anyone.


	40. October 2004 pt 1

CBS and Paramount Pictures own NCIS.

You're to Blame

**You are to blame for anything that is good in my heart. You are to blame for this change that has taken me by storm. - Mercy Me**

Spoilers: _Good Wives Club _and_ Vanished_

Chapter Forty – October 2004 pt. one

Friday October 1, 2004

Tony knew that their last case was one for the record books. Not because it was anything particularly unusual, sadly abductions were quite common even in the military, but because he had gotten bashed over the head with a twenty dollar lamp that nearly killed him... by a desperate house wife of all things.

OK, so she was a traumatized young woman who had Stockholm syndrome that just learned that her 'husband' was dead. He understood the desire to be loved. He just couldn't understand why anyone would go insane while looking for that love.

But Swain did.

He could only hope that Jeremy can work his magic on her.

Saturday October 2, 2004

Small towns like Smoky Corners, West Virginia gave Jeremy the creeps. It was easy to keep secrets from outsiders when everyone knew everyone else. And considering the crop circle that he was currently standing in, it had to be a pretty big secret. Especially since he was only feet away from a helicopter, a Cobra to be exact.

This time he stood back and observed the team working. He couldn't get anything from talking to Colonel Teague or the farmer, Clay, and Sheriff Thompson that Jethro couldn't get. The latter two weren't going to say anything... well anything that was worth knowing. He didn't believe that there were any kind of light show.

Though it didn't help anyone that the boss was annoyed with Teague's presence. The Marines really should have known better than to contaminate a crime scene. It only caused a lot more work for them trying to eliminate all those fingerprints.

He didn't envy what Jethro ordered Tim (everyone else insisted that they call him McGee) to do. Abby's fascination with the paranormal was well known to the newest of probies, Tim included. While he didn't believe in anything came from outer-space, he smiled when he heard what Abby claimed that she needed to get her work done.

"I need pictures, and lots of them. And specimens of stalks down to the roots. And a core sample of soil at least twelve inches. And make sure you get a control sample from outside the circle."

"Abby, we're looking for two missing Marines."

"Come on, McGee!" Abby begged. "Do it for me please. I'll show you my new tat."

Jeremy knew that Tim would cave in to Abby. Most everyone had a problem with saying 'no' to her. Now it seemed as she had her latest victim. He really needed to teach him how not to manipulated by Abby.

* * *

Jethro was suspicious, alright he was always suspicious of something, but his gut was turning when he realized that there weren't any gawkers. There was no sign of any locals other than the farmer and the sheriff and that was bothering him.

He sent Tony and Kate to the pilot's apartment soon after the helicopter left and they had everything that Abby requested in the truck. Tony was not impressed that they needed to bring back corn stalks. He really couldn't see what they could learn other than Abby went too far with her obsession.

It seemed like it was more than a coincidence that the Marines found a burnt-out cabin not too far away.

* * *

Kate and Tony brought in Barnett when they found him at his apartment, or rather he found them investigating his apartment.

"I understand that you're not cooperating, Captain Barnett."

"I don't know anything. It's Saturday night. I was at my girlfriend's. Got home, just getting out of the shower, and I heard someone in my apartment."

"Where is Newell?" It was a demand if anyone ever heard one.

"I don't know."

The team watched from the observation room. This was Tony's favorite part of any case. His dad was brilliant in interrogation. He could get just about anyone to crack and it was only a matter of time before this guy started spilling everything he knew.

"What is Gibbs doing?" asked Kate as Jethro whispered something to Barnett.

"TBI."

"Excuse me?"

"Truth by intimidation." Both Tony and Jeremy started to count down. "In five, four three, two, one."

And Barnett was singing.

"We were leaving for the base when Todd got a call on his cell. He took it into the bedroom. When he came out he was messed up. He said he wasn't feeling well and wanted to call the Squadron Duty Officer in Ops to cancel the hop."

He didn't know anything other than Newell told him not to get into trouble. Newell was looking out for Barnett and they needed to know why.

Sunday October 3, 2004

If it weren't for the fact that he was in Smoky Corners McGee would have strangled Abby by now. She was practically refusing to concentrate solely on the case. Gibbs is not going to be happy when he learns that she was asking for electromagnetic-effects on corn stalks rather than looking for the cause of the cabin fire.

* * *

Everything came down to a payphone. Someone made a call from a payphone in Smoky Corners to Captain Newell. Unfortunately it was whipped clean when they found it. Not even one partial fingerprint was on the entire phone.

Jethro busted it open to get the coins. He hoped that he could get prints off from one. Kate and Jethro knew that they were being watched but kept up with trying to get the coins.

"Kate," he gave her the evidence bag, "get those to Abby for prints."

"What are you doing to the phone?"demanded a man that came out of the building that the payphone was outside of.

"Special Agent Gibbs, NCIS." He ignored the question as though being a federal agent instantly gave him the right to bust open payphones. "Who are you?"

"Ritt Everett. This is my store."

"See anyone using the phone Tuesday night?"

"Well... nope." Does this have anything to do about the helicopter and the crop circle?"

Again he didn't answers the shop owner's question. This time, however, it was because they were interrupted.

"Hello, Sheriff."

"Special Agent Gibbs. Any luck?"

"Well, sir, luck doesn't have much do with it."

"I've been asking around. Lot of folks seen them lights and are complainin' their animals are acting out of sorts."

"How?"

"Chickens stopped laying eggs. The cows ain't producing, and stuff like that." Jethro thought the man must have taken him as some kind of idiot if he was going to buy that the missing Marine had anything to do with eggs and milk.

He showed them a picture of Newell. He had some real investigation to do. "Did either of you two see him around?"

"No," answered Thompson for the both of them.

"His name's Newell. Captain Todd Newell."

"No, I'm sorry. Ain't seen him," said Everett.

"Newell? Ain't nobody by that name in the Corners. I'll keep an eye out for him."

"Was he the one flying that helicopter?"

And yet again Everett didn't get his question answered. It was Abby telling him that the Air Force was stonewalling her. They refused to give her anything from the 1994 crop circles. Jethro remembered that Thompson mentioned them earlier but dismissed as unimportant... for now at least.

He was more interested in the cabin fire. It was typical arson that used gasoline as an accelerant. Other than that she had nothing on the debris.

As Jethro ended his call he noticed Kate talking to a young girl no more than twenty, probably younger. Kate explained that she was the station owner's daughter, Daphne. Even from a distance it was obvious that Daphne was scared of something. But from what Kate said, the girl was willing to talk if he father was gone.

* * *

It was later early that afternoon that Tony, Jeremy, McGee met up with Colonel Teague.

"The dogs are a no go. The handlers say something screwed up the dogs. Soon as they stepped into the woods they started acting up."

"Don't tell Abby," begged McGee. "She's going to make something out of it.

"We should start checking the back of their necks for little red X's."

"What are talking about?" McGee ignored Jeremy's laughter.

"Seriously, Tony, _Invaders From Mars._ You usually have much better taste than that."

"Wait, I take it that's a film?"

"Original 1953 version. Not the remake. I got an idea. We can watch if for our next movie night. It shouldn't scare Kristy too much."

"No, no, bad idea. Remember what happened the last time you played a movie like that while Sam was pregnant..."

"OK, so she didn't speak to for a month. But how was supposed to know that a movie about a revenge seeking nanny would make her freak out like that."

McGee was lost. He had no idea what they were talking about. "What does a revenge seeking nanny have to with X's on people's necks?"

"Absolutely nothing, Probie. But _Invaders from Mars _does. Aliens landed in a field just like this one. They took over the local's minds, leaving a little red X on the back of their necks.

"Sounds lame."

"It is... especially the original."

Tony ignored Jeremy. "Oh, no! Scariest movie I ever saw. Especially when this kid tries to tell his mom and dad what's going on. The camera slowly comes around… reveals X's on the back of mom and dad's necks. I was scared of my parents for years after that."

"I'm sure the feeling is mutual."

That comment caused the two older men to flinch. They had to remind themselves that McGee didn't know about Tony's past. He was too young back in 1988 to care about the lost DiNozzo heir.

Then Jethro showed up. They told him that all the locals they talked to had the same story. No one say the helicopter and they all say the balls of light.

Abby gave Jethro a call. She and Ducky found human flesh on the door handle of burnt-out cabin. They didn't have any remains so they couldn't assume that anyone actually died.

Jethro ordered Tony to get some cadaver dogs to look for the possible remains.

They did learn that the cabin and land surrounding it was owned by a man named Monroe. According to the farmer, Clay, who just so happened to show up at the site, Monroe was killed in a hunting accident. At the moment no one owned the land.

Monday October 4, 2004

Daphne was a no show. Kate went looking for her but ran into Everett instead. She made up a story about needing gas. Everett gave her a suspicious glance when it only took six dollars to fill up the tank.

She meet up with Tony and Jeremy, who were watching McGee scan the field with a magnetometer while Jethro went to talk to the State Police about Smoky Corners. Abby had McGee wrapped around her finger... or in this case the new tattoo on her ankle.

Though she would never have admitted it out loud, Kate found it funny when McGee unearthed the alien mask that he hid in the field.

* * *

Abby found a match for Greg Sikes on one of the coins for the person that called Newell. She still hadn't gotten a DNA match for the person that was at the cabin even though she had been working for two days straight. She didn't sleep... not much anyways.

Not much later they found the burned remains that probably belonged to the person that was in the cabin. If it wasn't it would be too weird of a coincidence for them to have burned remains that had nothing to do with the case.

* * *

Jethro sent Tony and McGee to find Sikes.

"Smoky Corners Bachelor Quarters. There's something to be said for living in a trailer. Get tired of the view, you just roll it to a new location. Come on, McGee. What, are you never going to talk to me again?"

"How long am I going to be the butt of your practical jokes, the snide innuendos and juvenile put-downs?"

"I will always out rank you, Probie. Come on."

Unfortunately no one was home. Fortunately the door was open. There was evidence that Sikes left in a hurry.

* * *

Ducky could only give Jethro a rough estimate for what happened to their crispy guest. So much happened to the man, including being shot, that with the state they were in there was no way that Ducky.

Abby, however, was able to match the DNA to a male sibling to Newell. Nothing in Newell's Officers Qualification Records said anything about a brother. That pissed Gibbs off that they missed an angle. Agents are supposed to look at everything since recruits tend to lie.

Even Tony's Service Record wasn't completely truthful.

But he had no idea why Newell would hide a brother.

* * *

McGee was finally getting fed up with Abby's insistence that there was something extra-terrestrial about the crop circle. And since he still hadn't see the new tattoo he was ready to call her on it the next time she brought it up.

"There is a definite difference."

"I don't see it."

"Look at the elongated node. It's undamaged. The plants inside the crop circle were changed in a way that is beyond human ability. I'm rerunning an analysis hoping to find anomalous molecular change to the stalks within the circle. I'm betting they were subjected to very short blasts of high energy heat, possibly microwave generated."

"Re-running because you came up empty. Look Abby, you're looking for something that isn't there. You've been here for two days straight. You're tired. You've done everything that Gibbs has asked. So go home, get some sleep."

"I can't sleep! What are you doing!" She gave him a glare that would rival Gibbs on a good day.

"You're guilty of confirmation bias. It's not there, Abs. You're ignoring the obvious and you're searching for microscopic proof of something that doesn't exist."

"Maybe I should join the CIA," she snapped.

"Look at the big picture. The design of the smaller, outer circles was created by bending the corn stalks down in a clockwise direction. But look under the helicopter. Those plants were forced outward from the center by the downdraft of the blades. The corn was still standing and was forced down by the landing of the Cobra. This crop circle is a hoax, Abby. It's created… it's created around a parked helicopter." McGee felt a lot better after his rant.

"Why would anyone do that?"

* * *

As it turned out there was a reasonable explanation as to why they had no record of Todd Newell having a brother. He was adopted by his stepfather. Newell's just so happened to be Sikes brother. Who was now in autopsy.

The biological father was dead, hunting accident. It seemed as though a lot of people in Smoky Corners ended up in a hunting accident.

"So we got a dead civilian in Ducky's cooler. Are we going to turn it over to the local authorities?"

"Nope. Not yet. I want to know more first."

"Greg Sikes was involved with the girl at the gas station. She was the only one that seemed willing to talk. Maybe I should go back there and try to find her."

"You two go with her," Jethro said to Tony and Jeremy.

Just then McGee entered the bullpen with Abby behind him.

"All right, so we're on the same page, right?" coaxed McGee.

"I guess. Let me tell Gibbs."

"Tell me what?"

"The crop circle was a hoax created around the helicopter after it landed."

"You don't sound convincing, Abs."

"Yeah, well there's still a lot of stuff that can't be explained."

Jethro worked out everything even as they talked... the stories were all the same. It was all too well rehearsed. There was an explanation for everything. It was time that he started to think like a Marine... Captain Newell was still alive and waiting.

First he just had to tell Colonel Teague that Newell was still alive. Newell wasn't going to do anything while he was being hunted. It wasn't hard to convince him that Newell was evading them using his SERE training.

* * *

Daphne was pregnant with Sikes child. Daddy didn't exactly approve since they lived on opposite sides of the valley. They created the crop circle to discourage an investigation like they did back in 1994 with the Air Force.

They had to get Daphne some place safe before anyone realizes that she spoke to them.

Jethro called Teague to tell him to back off. The only way to prevent a higher body count was to arrest Everett and get Newell to make his move. None of the parties would do anything until they thought they were gone.

Tuesday October 5, 2004

The Marines pulled out early just as Jethro _requested. _He made sure that it was very noticeable from the gas station that they were gone.

"What's going on? Looks like you're all pulling out."

"The Marines are, we aren't." He got into Everett's face. "Do you get a kick out of smacking your daughter around?"

"Why don't you just get out of here?" He tried and failed to be intimidating.

"DiNozzo, read him his rights." It was one of the rare occasions that he used his fake surname. It was necessary for the situation.

"What are you talking about?"

"The murder of Greg Sikes."

"Greg Sikes is dead? I thought he went hunting." It was obvious that he thought it was a big joke.

"We found his remains."

Tony read off his rights and flash backed to another time that he was ordered to read someone his rights. He was glad that both feet were firmly on the ground and that there was no chance that he would fall out of a plane this time.

"Aren't you out of your jurisdiction? You're the law here, Miller." He turned to his friend, who tried to look important.

"Yeah, I am."

"Ah, don't get excited, Sheriff. The West Virginia State Police are on their way, but I do have the authority to detain both of you until they arrive."

* * *

It was easy to bring in Newell now that they new what he target was. He headed, under as much cover he could find, toward the gas station. Jethro ordered that they turned on some very bright lights, effectively blinding Newell.

"NCIS!" Jethro shouted. "Lower your weapon, Captain Newell! It's over."

"It's not over until Ritt Everett's dead."

"He's in the custody of the State Police."

He did even hesitate. "That's not going to change anything. It's an eye for an eye here. Always has been."

"Is that why your mother took you away?" Jethro didn't wait for an answer since it was rhetorical. "Put down your weapon."

"Why? I'm never going to fly again."

"Well, your career is probably over, but you haven't hurt anybody yet. Keep it that way and I'll do everything I can to help you. There is a young girl carrying your brother's baby. And they could sure use your help."

It was his mentioning Daphne that had him surrender. He couldn't do anything for his brother but he could help his kid. If he didn't there was a pretty good chance that the child would either be killed or forced into the feud as well. And he knew that his brother wouldn't want that.

Wednesday October 6, 2004

"Did you have to tell Kate that I got her favorite florist from her PDA?" asked Tony as he sipped on his coffee.

It was past midnight and neither of them could sleep even though the case had been had been put to bed. Even the paper work was filed.

"Well, if she knew you then she would have known that you're observant. Even I know her favorite florist."

Tony laughed. "That still doesn't answer my question. She already believes that I have no respect for her personal space."

"That's not my fault."

"You're the one who trained me."

"You're the who takes that training too far."

They enjoyed the banter for a little longer. "What do you think is going to happen to Daphne and Newell?"

"I'm not sure. Though I do know that Daphne's baby is going to have a much happier childhood that she and Sikes had."

"Yeah, I think so too."

A/N Yay! This chapter is over 2500 words!

October 2004 will continue in the next chapter with _Lt. Jane Doe _and _The Bone Yard. _


	41. October 2004 pt 2

CBS and Paramount Pictures own NCIS.

You're to Blame

**You are to blame for anything that is good in my heart. You are to blame for this change that has taken me by storm. - Mercy Me**

Spoilers: _Lt. Jane Doe and The Bone Yard. _

Chapter Forty-one – October 2004 pt. two

Saturday October 23, 2004

A deep sigh reverberated throughout the entire paintball field. Tony had no idea what he was thinking when he invited McGee to come the next time he made plans to go with the gang. He realized that the younger man needed to get the latest case off his mine. He was friends (or rather friendly since Tony would vehemently deny that McGee had any friends) with the petty officer that killed their last victim.

It was only Tony, Jeremy and McGee this time. Kate refused adamantly when Tony asked her to come. The memory of the giant bruise on her hip convinced her to never participate ever again. She knew that they didn't shoot her like that on purpose but the boys liked to play roughly. She wasn't willing to risk injury again.

For some reason Jethro told his boys and McGee to have fun without him. The fact that McGee was still afraid of him may have had helped in that decision. The youngest needed to relax before they went back to work and having the boss shooting him probably wouldn't help.

Tony told McGee that it going to be every man for himself. That wasn't exactly true. He and Jeremy made plans before hand to double team the kid. McGee had to learn not to be so trusting and gullible. The elder Gibbs would approve, not vocally but with a glimmer of mischievousness in his eye that no one else would notice.

The young man it far too easy for them to track. Kate must have told McGee about her one experience playing paintball with the family because he was wearing what looked like heavily padded football gear. Tony had no idea where he could have gotten it at such short notice. He had only told, well ordered, McGee the night before that he was invited to play. The gear hindered McGee's movements so badly that it was a surprise that he walk never mind shooting his borrowed rifle.

The two older men separated as to make it seem as though they weren't working together. They could hear McGee's awkward footsteps. Tony raised his rifle as soon as he saw the young agent and shot twice. Jeremy followed only seconds later. They both disappeared before McGee realized what happened. They crossed each others paths as they took different positions. Once again they took aim and fired. And once again they heard four splats as McGee was hit.

This happened twice more before McGee realized what was happening. He turned to his eight 'o clock and shot three times before turning and to his three 'o clock and shooting again.

"Nice try, Probie. Next time though, make sure that you aim a little better. Your shot veered to the left." It impressed Tony, although he would never admit it, that McGee caught onto their attack pattern so quickly.

"That's it? We're done?" McGee lowered his rifle

Tony raised his gun. Jeremy followed the motion. "Nope." They both emptied their guns on him.

Tuesday October 26, 2004

It was close combat training day, well it was Jethro's version of close combat training. It was also Tony's favorite type of training. He still hadn't been able to beat his dad in a fair fight but he knew that Jethro was a superior fighter. Though he did manage to beat Jeremy and Kate every single time. It drove Kate nuts that she never won against him.

It was fun. And any kind of fun was OK with Tony. Especially since their sparring matches always got a lot of attention from other agents.

Plus the view of Kate in her workout clothes always made getting beaten up worth it.

"Tim! Don't be afraid you're going to hurt her!" called Jeremy from the punching bags. The kid was treating her with kid gloves. "Kate can take care of herself."

With that McGee flipped her to the mat.

"That's more like it, McGee." Kate praised. "Why were you holding back?"

"Well, you're a... I mean, I've never wrestled a..." Tony (Jethro had to take a call in the middle of their fight) and Jeremy could see that McGee was digging himself into a hole with Kate.

"A girl? Tony, I look like a girl to you?"

"All I see are are two NCIS Special Agents.

"Me too." Then Kate did something nobody was expecting, she kneed somewhere no man wants to be kneed. Jeremy gave him a sympathetic look but didn't do anything for him. It was a learning experience that told him that just because Kate was a female that didn't mean she was weak... she did protect the president after all.

* * *

Murder by a five hundred pound bomb was a new one. The man who thought that he was in charge, Gunnery Sergeant de Luca, told them that their body was likely a civilian scavenger. Not a very smart one either considering all of the hidden and not so hidden explosives that littered the place. It was worse than any mine field.

That whole theory was tossed when Tony noticed the expensive Italian shoes. No way would a scavenger wear those while hunting for scrap metal... or ever really since the likelihood was that he wouldn't have been able to afford them.

While his team went about their orders to process the crime scene, Jethro had Jeremy go with him to follow the victim's tracks. De Luca went after them.

"Hey, that area hasn't been cleared yet! Agent Gibbs! Hey, are you trying to get yourself killed! Are you deaf or nuts!"

"A little of both." Jethro looked into the car that they followed the footprints to and saw a second body. "You still think this was an accident, Gunny?"

* * *

If one thing was certain, Abigail Sciuto did not get hacked. It just wasn't done. She had protocol on top of protocol on her systems to make sure that didn't happen. She had more confidential on her babies than anyone except for the director. Even then that was a close call. Every single piece of evidence going back for years was on her system.

It was embarrassing that it was Gibbs who stopped the attack. She and McGee were computer experts in their fields and neither of them thought to just unplug the computer.

But no one that would be interested in them had a computer that's powerful enough. It would take a little time but she had to find out who did.

Jeremy was starting to think that Tim had foot in mouth syndrome. He shook his head at his latest mistake. The kid really didn't know when to keep his mouth shut.

"Victor Gera. AKA Guido Valentino. Career criminal," reported Kate.

"Guido Valentino?"

"That's the alias he used in LA."

"Started running numbers in Chicago as a kid. Moved on to jacking cars as a teen. Graduated to drug dealing on the West Coast," said Tony when he took his turn to report.

"Six months ago he showed up in DC."

"Mafia?"

"With names like Vic Gera and Guido Valentino? What else?" And that was when the little probie should have kept his mouth shut.

"Probie! In case you forget, my names Tony DiNozzo. Italiano. It doesn't make me Mafia, does it?" He gave McGee a glare.

"No, of course not. I'm sorry."

"Prego."

Tony may not have been a DiNozzo legally for several years now but that didn't mean that he didn't have a pride in his Italian heritage. It also didn't mean that he had an easy time as an agent. Jeremy was more than aware of how hard of a time some cops gave him when they found out that he was an agent while he was still OSP. He didn't need that kind of behavior from a teammate.

Though if that happened too often, computer genius or not, Tim McGee would find his time as a Special Agent to be very short.

They went back to the case. Jethro made his demands on his team clear, find out who Victor Gera was. NOW.

Jethro got a call then from de Luca. By the way that he was shouting could have only meant that something had gone wrong and it was (in all likelihood) the Gunny's fault.

* * *

As it turned out it wasn't as bad as could have been. They got a finger before a Javelin blew up, nearly costing de Luca and another Marine their lives. The body itself was destroyed in the resulting explosion.

* * *

Abby was pumped and ready to take on her opponent. Nobody hacked into her system and gets away with it. Taking a long draw from her Caf-Pow, she ordered McGee to plug her back in. Her little virtual world would give her plenty of time to back-trace the connection.

The nuisance was good but as Abby told McGee, she was better. She had to be.

"Oh, my god." McGee's eyes went wide when they saw who it was.

"Gibbs is going to kill you."

"Kill me? Why?" He went paler than usual.

"I'm not going to tell him."

* * *

The team was talking about the possible number of bodies that they might find on the range. So far, after only covering less than 10% of the land, three bodies had been found. Kate pointed out that thirty or more bodies could be found.

McGee really didn't want to be the person that told Gibbs who was hacking into Abby's computer. Fortunately the problem of that happening cleared itself of. Though it also gave Jeremy a reason to try to get the kid to be more confident in himself.

"It's me," said Tobias Fornell as he walked into the bullpen. "Why is NCIS interested in Vic Gera, Gibbs."

"Who says we were interested in him?" Jethro didn't want to give Fornell too information. It wasn't as though the FBI was much help the last few cases they had to work together.

"You ran his prints through AFIS. Where did you get them?"

"He gave them to us." He still didn't want to give him too much.

"You have him in custody?"

"Technically speaking."

* * *

Fornell was distraught when he saw his man on Ducky's table. Gera was an undercover agent for the FBI. Tony wasn't surprised when Jethro lead him to the elevator that they used as a conference room. The others were confused by Jethro's actions he knew exactly what the two men did in the stalled elevator.

Fornell explained that their was a mole leaking information to Jimmy Napalitano, a crime boss that ran the circuit in the Maryland, Virginia, and DC area. Gera was just the latest name on a long list of people that had been killed trying to bring him down.

He truly needed help to take this guy out.

"Why not take it to Internal Affairs?"

"They can't help me."

"But I can?" Jethro knew just how desperate Fornell must have been to come to him.

"Realizing how sad this sounds, you're the closest thing have to a friend, Gibbs."

"You dying or something? Okay, not dying. Is this some part of a twelve step program?" The NCIS agent was close to laughing. It had to of been hard to admit to something like that.

"Look, are you going to help me or not?"

"I'm thinking about it."

"It's settled then." The elevator was flipped back on.

"This isn't your style, Tobias."

"I know it. The Bureau believes that the mole who put my man on your slab..." the door slid open and Agent Charles was standing outside. "... is me."

"Sorry, Tobias.

Wednesday October 27, 2004

Things weren't looking good for Fornell. Well, it never looked good when an agent is locked behind bars for murder. And with NCIS as his only hope, he wasn't feeling too hopeful that he'll get out of this unscathed.

Besides, the two kilos of coke and the counterfeit bills found in his freezer weren't helping things.

Jethro left Jeremy with him to get everything Fornell could tell them about the key players in this case, including the agents.

* * *

The things that people did to other people was quiet disturbing sometimes. Ducky managed to identify one of the victims, Frank Pilanto. Pilanto had been shot with a nine mil, had his throat slit, froze, and then burned. Not nice anyway you put it.

Ducky didn't have anything on the finger de Luca brought it. However, Abby did. The finger was at least eighteen-years-old. She found that out thanks to traces of mercury fulminate, which the military stopped using in 1986.

She also found a second type of blood on Gera. She didn't have a DNA match but it was only a matter of time that she did.

* * *

No one knew what to say to the fact that it appeared that Fornell had hung himself. It was the easy way out... the cowards way out. Tobias Fornell was no coward. But he was also looking for a way out of an impossible situation. With all the evidence against him it didn't look as though there was a way that he would escape it.

And everyone knows just how well a cop fairs in prison. With as many people that Fornell had put behind bars... he wouldn't last a week.

* * *

There really didn't seem to be a point for Jeremy to be sent on the mission to find Rickey Napalitano's DNA. Kate and Tony would have been fine on their own. Even with Kate's limited undercover experience, it was an easy in and out kind of job.

Plus, it was just plain awkward to be fighting Tony of all people over a girl. It didn't matter that it wasn't real. The situation, Kate's 'pregnancy' only made Jeremy even more uncomfortable.

He was a behind the scenes kind of person. He didn't do undercover work. Not like Tony. He was an information gatherer and then he analyzed that information. He didn't actually go and tell people that he had impregnated someone and not really know whether or not the kid was his. It just wasn't done.

Jethro had to of been behind it. He had a feeling that the lead agent wanted him nowhere near that cell.

As they left the clinic, with Jimmy Napalitano's DNA, Jeremy vowed he was never doing this kind of work ever again.

* * *

They confirmed what they already suspected, it was Jimmy Napalitano's blood on Agent Gera. They had his killer. Now all they had to do was bring him in.

"Is there a problem, officer?" Sal Balducci, the muscle behind the organization asked to uniformed cop.

"You're talking to the wrong person.

"Bona sera," said Tony knowing that speaking in Italian would get to the criminals in the car. "We've got a warrant for your arrest, Little Dicky."

"It's Rickey." Tony smiled because he knew he struck a nerve.

"It's murder, Dicky. Come on."

"Come, on, get out," ordered Jethro.

The arrest went pretty smoothly... that is until Sal and Jimmy brought up Fornell. But it seemed as though Jethro was prepared for it.

"I get the government agent on your payroll by sunup, dirt bag, or Little Rickey doesn't the twist."

"Say I do this, all right? What do I get?"

"I deliver Little Rickey to you. The evidence against him gets lost, and you never see me again."

"You'll do all this just of clear Fornell's name?

"He was my friend."

* * *

It wasn't long before Jimmy Napalitano called to make the swap. They planned to meet at Coleman Park with only one person each as backup. Jimmy tried to make it so that Jethro showed up with only Rickey but no one is dumb enough to go into an unknown situation alone.

"And Gibbs, you hurt my boy, I'll kill your brothers, your uncles, your father and after their funerals, I'll kill you."

"No brothers, no uncles, my father passed years ago."

That caused Tony to perk up a little. As far as he knew, Grandpa Jack was alive and well back in Stillwater. He really didn't like that it sounded as though Jimmy Napalitano was threatening all of the men in the family. Good thing Jimmy didn't say 'son' or Jethro would not have been able to remain calm as he had been.

Jethro didn't feel bad about leaving Tony behind this time. It was the only way to clear Fornell's name. He also didn't feel bad about the 'Primacord' that was currently wrapped around Rickey's neck.

He showed no outward emotion when Jimmy pointed to Agent Charles as the man who was framing Fornell. It made sense. Who better to frame someone than the person actually on the case. It was easy to cover your tracks when you know what agents looked for.

It wasn't all that surprising that Jimmy left Rickey. The mafia knew how to take care of their own but when it comes down to it, it was better to sever ties with a weak link than to sabotage the entire network for one person... even when that one person was your own son.

* * *

"So you want to tell me how you knew that it was Charles?" asked Tony that night in the basement.

"Didn't. Charles just didn't seem like he was too keen on proving Fornell was innocent."

"Gotta admit that Charles was smart. Couldn't have been too hard to plant evidence at Fornell's place. Especially if he was in on the search. "

"Couldn't've been too smart... he did get caught in the end."

A/N Do you guys mind if I jumped a few months and go to _Chained_ after I do _Call of Silence?_


	42. November 2004

CBS and Paramount Pictures own NCIS.

You're to Blame

**You are to blame for anything that is good in my heart. You are to blame for this change that has taken me by storm. - Mercy Me**

Spoilers: _Call of Silence_

Chapter Forty-two – November 2004

Thursday November 18, 2004

Spending Thanksgiving at the office was no one idea of a fun filled holiday. Though that did explain why Tony was throwing wads of paper at Kate. She was getting more frustrated with each wad that hit her. The others could see that she was close to snapping and after the sixth wad, she did.

"You know, just because you don't have family to spend the holiday with doesn't mean that you have the right the day more miserable for us who do but can't be with them."

Tony stared at her for only a moment before storming out.

"That wasn't very nice, Kate," said Abby from her perch on Jethro's desk. She then ran after Tony when she realized that her boss couldn't. She really hated that rule.

That left Kate with an intimidating glare, a disappointed sigh, a disapproving stare, a look of complete shock, and a Jimmy Palmer all directed at her. It wasn't a pleasant experience.

"C'mon, don't tell me you guys weren't getting fed up with his juvenile behavior."

"You don't get it, do you, Caitlin," said Jeremy scathingly. Kate was taken back by his uncharacteristic tone. "But maybe if you weren't so busy whining about not being able to see your family you would."

"I have not been whining."

"Yes, my dear, you have been. All Anthony had been trying to do was try to make today seem as though it were just another day. I thought he was doing you a kindness."

Kate paused at those words. Ducky never scolds anyone like that... well not his friends. "I'm sorry. I'm just―"

"It's not us you should be apologizing to," snapped Jeremy.

"I know. I'll go talk to him."

"Sit!" Jethro barked at her. He nodded in approval when Kate obediently sat. Anyone who knew Tony at all would know that Kate would be the last person he would want to see.

No one noticed the elevator open so they definitely didn't notice the new comer loaded down with a box of food and large tray of coffee. "Um, did I come at a bad time?" asked Kristy.

* * *

It was easy to slip away while his team was drooling over Kristy's homemade meal. He grabbed a couple of plate and two of the coffees before he went to find Tony and Abby in the lab. It was the obvious place to look for him but he knew that Tony wasn't really trying to hide from him. If Tony was trying to hide, he would have left the Navy Yard. Besides, he was comfortable in the lab.

"Abs, out!"

Abby glared. "You can't just―"

"Go eat."

"But―" She was silenced by the appearance of one Jethro's most halting glares. "You'll be giving me Gibbs-slaps next." She stomped away with a pout on her face.

"Don't tempt me!" he yelled back at her as the doors slid shut behind her.

"You wouldn't really head slap her, would you?"

"Not on the head." The smile on Jethro's face told him that it was a joke, but for some reason Tony doubted that it was.

"So about what Kate said..."

"Dad, it's fine. I know that I have a family. Just... the way she said it. I guess she forgot that I'm not the only one that doesn't have blood relatives. She could have said the same thing to you and it would have meant the same thing."

"Yeah, she could have. But I wasn't the one throwing things at her like a five-year-old with a crush."

Tony laughed. "OK, so I may have went too far with the paper wads. But, to be fair, I only did it after she started whining."

"So, everything is good with you."

"That's what everyone is worried about? That Kate hurt my _feelings_? Yeah, I was angry, but I only left the bullpen in case I said something that I couldn't take back... like the tiny fact I would have been spending Thanksgiving with you even if we didn't have to work. I don't think Kate would be able to handle the fact they you do have a life outside of work."

Tony didn't even flinch when a hand met the back of his head.

Saturday November 20, 2004

There was never any doubt in anyone's minds that Tony always seemed to have better luck with women than Jeremy... even when he took account the numerous stalkers that Tony attracted. Jeremy was just as good looking and probably more charming than the younger man. He could get the attention of a woman just as easily as Tony.

It was keeping that attention that was the problem.

Sometimes just mentioning that he had a daughter caused a woman that he was interested in to run. It was more the fact that he had a near sixteen-year-old daughter that caused them to run. Jeremy didn't blame Kristina. In fact he was thankful that she was a buffer of sorts for the women who just wanted to use him for his money.

Then he meet Brooke Triggs. It was just a normal day at a normal coffee shop when she bumped into him while he carrying several hot cups of the brew, including the Gibbs special blend that only Tony and Jethro seemed to be able to stomach.

And now he was going on a date with her. He planned to take Brooke to all of the 'normal' date places, dinner and a movie and, if things went well, a walk through Anacostia park.

Brooke told him about growing up in the City of London, which wasn't to be confused with Greater London. She was considered to be a bit of a rebel by her strict parents because she didn't want to go to a posh, her word, school for girls. Instead she wanted to go to a school that focused highly on the arts. Brooke didn't get her way but she still went and became an artist. She just had the ability to use technology in her art.

She understood Jeremy's reluctance to tell her about his work. All he would sat was that he was a psychologist for NCIS that often went in the field with a team of agents.

When he told Brooke about Kristy she was curious but didn't make feel like she was condemning him for a choice he made when he was a teenager. When she explained that it would have been hypocritical of her to do so since her parents were only nineteen when she was born.

It was then that Jeremy decided that he would give Brooke a chance.

Tuesday November 23, 2004

It wasn't everyday that a Medal of Honor recipient walked into NCIS headquarters claiming that he killed a man. But Corporal Ernest Yost was such a man.

Jethro met Corporal Yost just as he was coming back from his morning coffee run. The old corporal brought in a .45 that he claimed to have killed a Marine with.

The plan was to humor the old man. After some questioning, it was obvious that his memory of the supposed murder wasn't completely there. But since it was a bit slow it was nice to have the distraction. Jethro started to bark orders as though it was a real case. After telling McGee to look into Yost's phone records for his calls to 911, he turned to Kate.

"Kate, he's a former Marine. Probably WW2. Corporal Ernest Yost. Dig up his SRB.

"You got a Social Security number?" She turned to her computer.

"They didn't use them for serial numbers when he served."

"So how am I supposed to his SRB without a serial number?"

Jethro suppressed the urge to roll his eyes at her. "Well Kate, you could ask him."

"Gibbs, I doubt that he could remember his shoe size," scoffed Kate.

Jeremy was amused by the whole exchange, especially when she was proven wrong.

"Corporal Yost!" barked Jethro in his best Marine voice that sometimes even made Tony stand at attention.

"Yo!" Yost was instantly in Marine mode.

"Serial number."

"Three three zero zero nine zero, Sir!" recited Yost from memory.

"Or you could just look him up under Medal of Honor recipients." Jethro noticed Tony straightened his posture as he fought the instinct to stand and salute Yost. You can take the man out of the Marines but you can't take the Marine out of the man.

"He won the Medal of Honor?" She had a look of awe on her face. Tony was ignored at he snorted he would have told her that you don't win the Medal of Honor if Jethro hadn't beaten him to it.

* * *

After talking to Abby about the .45, making him feel old due to Abby's blunder concerning his age, he went back to Tony and Jeremy. They were keeping him out of the way while they 'worked'.

Jethro tried to ask him about the murder Yost claimed to commit. All they were able to get from him was a name, Corporal Wade Kean. Corporal Kean was Yost's buddy and he had no memory of why he would have killed him.

Without the 'why' it was hard to believe that Yost killed Kean. He became agitated, forgetting that he had given Jethro the .45. He sent him with Tony to get a drink of water.

"All right. Come with me, Mister Yost. The water cooler's right over here."

"It's not a water cooler. It's called a scuttlebutt. How long have you been in the Corps, kid?"

There was a pause that only Jeremy noticed. When he answered it was truthful without giving anything away. "For almost for as long as I known Gibbs. This way."

* * *

It didn't take long to learn that Yost started to make the 911 calls soon after Yost's wife passed away two weeks ago. The police investigated a few times but they believed that Yost was a lonely old man that had the habit of drink one too many. With nothing to go on, the 911 operator soon began to seen him as a nuisance.

It also didn't take long to learn that the man was a hero. He fought the Japanese Imperial Army, protecting his people, and killed twenty-six soldiers in the process. He nearly lost his own life and he still kept fighting. Going so far as to engage in hand-to-hand combat.

* * *

The plan really was to humor Ernie Yost... but then they got the call in MTAC from Faith Coleman. Yost had sent a letter to the Secretary of the Navy confessing to the murder of Corporal Kean. The letter, apparently, only said that he killed Kean. There was no 'where', 'when', of 'why'. But that didn't matter to the SECNAV. He wanted a case to be opened on the word of an old man with an obvious mental deficiency and a possible drinking problem. She came back that it wasn't up to him to decide if Yost was competent. That was for experts in neuropsychiatry and a court to determine.

"I have a psychiatrist who has taken a few classes in neuropsychiatry. He's not an expert but he's damn good at his job."

"No. I can't take the chance that he's bias."

* * *

Because of the order from the SECNAV Jethro had to take an official statement from Yost. He was told to keep Jeremy away from him. It didn't make sense to any of the others on the team. Jeremy had never shown any kind of bias with any of the other cases. That didn't mean that he could control whether or not Jeremy would be in the observation room while he was making that statement.

He didn't say anything different from what he said in the bullpen. He killed Wade by bashing his brain in and that was that. No explanation as to why he would kill his best friend.

Yost also said, toward the end of the interrogation, that he smelled rotten eggs. That concerned Jeremy because even though he wasn't in the room with Yost and Jethro, he knew that it was all in Yost's head. He was starting to remember what happened on Iwo Jima far too slowly to help help them.

Jeremy couldn't say anything to Jethro about Yost. He wasn't going to put Yost in jeopardy but by the way Yost was acting, the old man was suffering from more than survivor's guilt. No that wasn't it at all and unless he had a chance to talk to himself, Jeremy was reluctant to give any kind of diagnosis.

Jethro really hated this, but they had to dig up Corporal Kean to determine one way or another whether he was murdered or died a war hero.

* * *

Tony was with Yost when the body was being exhumed. Jethro and Kate (McGee and Jeremy were going over _The Shores of Iwo Jima _upstairs) watched as Ducky went over the remains. His legs were clearly blown off. Something that would have been excruciating painful.

Ducky also found a fracture on the corporal's head that was a match to the .45. It was the proof that Coleman wanted and Jethro didn't want to give.

Good thing that the man wasn't at the Navy Yard any more or Coleman would had him in the brig faster than Abby could say Iwo Jima.

Too bad that she ordered Jethro to have him at Quantico at 0800 the next day.

Wednesday November 24, 2004

It really wasn't fair. The evidence pointed to two different, yet plausible, outcomes. One was that Yost had hit his friend to keep him quiet so that the enemy didn't find them. The head injury combined with blood loss from losing his legs caused his death. Yost wasn't to blame. The second was that Yost killed Kean for the girl they both loved. Yost and Dorthy didn't marry until after the war... though that was explained by the fact that she was an officer and he was enlisted. A relationship between the two of them would have been forbidden.

All of the Marines from Yost's unit were dead, well other than Yost himself. The last one died only a month previously while playing blackjack in Vegas.

* * *

Faith was fuming when she arrived at Navy Yard. She had ordered that Yost to be delivered to Quantico. The deadline had passed and there was no Yost in her custody.

It was a bit of a surprise that Jethro managed to find a witness from Iwo Jima. They didn't take into account that there were more than just Marines on that island. There were Japanese soldiers as well. It so happened that there was a Japanese soldier, Yoshida, there in Washington.

All they needed was a little more time and a lot of creativity to prove that Yost did not intentionally kill his friend.

Tony, Jeremy, Ducky and Coleman watched from the observation room as Jethro recreated what happened on Iwo Jima, including creating the smell of sulfur to help keep Yost focus.

It was fascinating to observe Yost as he fell into his flashback. He was hearing the voices of his men; they were telling him to quiet their injured teammate. He flinched each time he heard Yoshida shouting in Japanese. He was remembering the fear his men felt, wondering if they would all be killed just because Kean couldn't stay quiet.

In the end she had to admit that the evidence didn't point to murder. Her report to the SECNAV would say that Yost was suffering Delayed Stress Syndrome. While Jeremy didn't think that it was the right diagnosis he could live with it.

Saturday November 27, 2004

Jeremy smiled as he had coffee with Brooke. He hadn't seen her in a week but they had spoken numerous times over the phone.

"I have a showing next month. It's nothing major but some big names will be there. I want to know if you could maybe bring your daughter and Tony along. I would like to meet them. An art show is the best you can get when it comes to neutral grounds. Plus, most of the work is Christmas themed so there isn't going to be anything inappropriate."

"I can ask them. Kristy would probably go. Tony on the other hand, well art isn't his thing and knowing him, he would most likely make a fool of himself. Though Tony does love Christmas. But if I don't have a case, I'll definitely will be there."

A/N Sorry that it's a day late. Daddy wanted a father/daughter day at the movies on Sunday. It kept me away from my computer for longer than I had planned.

I have also noticed that my review count is always higher after I ask my readers to review... so if you want to make me happy and give my 500 reviews by my 50th chapter I would really, really love you guys.


	43. December 2004

CBS and Paramount Pictures own NCIS.

You're to Blame

**You are to blame for anything that is good in my heart. You are to blame for this change that has taken me by storm. - Mercy Me**

Spoilers: _Chained_

Chapter Forty-three – December 2004

Wednesday December 14, 2004

Jeremy knew that this was a really bad idea before they even decided to chain Tony to a maniac killer. They didn't have enough information on Jeffery White to pull off an operation of this magnitude. Even Tony's cover was weak. It didn't matter that White didn't have access to a computer, there were ways for him to figure out that Tony wasn't all that he appeared to be. If he had his way he would have put a lot more thought into Tony's alias. He was proven right and for once he hated being right.

38 hours earlier Tuesday December 13, 2004

It was early, well before the sun rose, when Tony and Jeffery escaped the prison transport van. Tony had to force the weakling of a man out of the van. It was like he was content to stay and wait for the Marshal to get backup. Tony wasn't about to let that happen. He had a job to do and wasn't going let anything get in the way.

He had a whole group of people looking out for him.. including his dad.

It was bad enough that they only had the feeblest of connections to Tony, it was stressful enough when he went undercover for months with no contact, but adding a multitude of people asking if he had a VW for sale wasn't helping Jethro keep his blood pressure out of the danger zone.

He had hoped for a video feed at the very least. Unfortunately, none of their equipment had the range since they had no idea how close they would be able to tail them. GPS was tracked by satellite and much more easily hidden.

Jethro couldn't help but agree with Tony as he shot down ideas of a subdermal implant or a suppository. He would have gone with putting in his shoe as well.

* * *

They had barley gone two miles, a lot more slowly than Tony would have liked, before Jeffery began to complain about being tired. Tony and to admit that the younger man was severely out of shape. He couldn't even describe him as being wiry since he didn't have anything on him that could be considered muscle.

He had to get Jeffery moving so he did what he did best, compared their situation to a movie, _The Defiant Ones. _It wasn't the perfect example because he knew that in the end he couldn't become friends with Jeffery and it was highly unlikely that they would run into anyone that would try to lynch them.

Tony really hoped that his pep talk wasn't wasted as Jeffery was knocked to the ground by a tree branch.

* * *

Jeremy was in the bullpen, folding paper airplanes for Tony, when he and McGee were approach by the new Senior MTAC Control Officer, who amazing made it sound as though it was the most important job he could dream of having. He asked for Gibbs. The agent was needed to talk to Anna Elliot, the Deputy Secretary of State.

He could visibly see the panic on Tim's face since he knew that it would be impossible to get Jethro back to headquarters fast enough.

It was pointless to tell the kid not to bother with call Jethro. Though it was amusing to hear him bark that he did have a VW for sale... he vaguely wondered if Tony was behind it as a prank. He explained the problem and Jethro did exactly what he thought he would do.

"Handle it, McGee."

"Uh... excuse me?" Jeremy had to give the kid points for keeping the stuttering to a minimum.

"You are the highest ranking member of out team in the office. Deal with it." As much as Jeremy hated to admit it, he didn't actually have a rank since he was a doctor. Tim and Kate did have to follow his orders but that was only because they had a standing order from Gibbs.

"Why can't Dr. Parkinson do it? This is a very powerful and important gov―" Jethro hung up. "Boss? Boss?"

McGee turned to Jeremy. "Hey, don't look at me Tim. This is your responsibility. Just don't let her know that you are terrified of her and keep it short as possible."

When Tim wasn't back after ten minutes he knew that he didn't heed his advice to keep as short as possible. Jeremy had a feeling the kid had brought up the Sumerian Period. It was very unlikely that she would care about how old the antiquities were. Elliot would only care that they were missing in the first place.

He knew that this was their one chance to recover the artifacts. It was a foolish plan to send Tony alone but it was only way to get what they needed in the short amount of time they had.

"So, how did it go?" Jeremy asked Tim as he put down his thirty-sixth finished paper airplane.

"I am an idiot."

"I already know that. Let me guess... you brought up the Sumerians." McGee collapsing in his chair was his only answer.

* * *

It was a relief when Tony and Jeffery finally arrived at the trailer. Sure Tony was wet (completely Jeffery's fault) and a little irritated with his companion. And he was sure that the GPS tracker in his shoe was ruined. Jeremy was right when he said that it should have been waterproof.

Tony went into the bathroom and was a surprised to find bobby pins. It must have been Jeremy's doing because the one thing they forgot to do was plan a way remove the cuffs. Tony was rusty at picking the lock but he did manage. Though it had might have something to do with Jeffery's continuous stares.

After changing, which would have been difficult or just plain impossible while cuffed, they headed out to the GMC Sierra that Tony picked out of the mission.

Tony wasn't sure why Jeffery thought that it would be a good idea to grab the steering wheel.

"I wasn't going to hit him. I saw him the whole time," Tony yelled.

"I think I have a concussion."

Tony mentally counted to twenty... ten just wasn't enough for this guy. "You didn't hit your head on anything."

"The sticker says airbags can be fatal!"

He continued to forty. "For children!"

It was their misfortune that the biker wasn't the hit and run type. But it was also fortunate because they no longer had a ride.

And he felt no quilt at calling his mangy shitzu Kate. He smiled when he thought of Kate's reaction when she found out that he used her name. He was probably a dead man.

Tony didn't want to think about how he would have driven a motorcycle if they had still been chained together. Jeffery's grip was a little uncomfortable. The guy was afraid that he was going to fall off. That was going to happen since he was holding onto Tony so tightly that he was making it difficult to breathe.

Thankfully it didn't take them long to get to a gas station and a payphone. Lane, Jeffery's partner in crime, wasn't too happy to learn that he was with Jeffery. The call didn't take long but it got the job done.

* * *

It was truly frustrating working for someone who never showed their emotions.

"What?" Jethro was just as frustrated as Kate but for many different reasons.

"You're worried."

"About what?"

"Tony. You are. I can tell."

"I'm worried about the job, Kate. Don't confuse the two." He hated that she was right he was worried about Tony. But with Tony's history regrading undercover ops these past few years, he had a good reason to. Besides, he wasn't lying... Tony was the job after all.

Well, at those damn calls from prospective VW owners gave him something to take his frustrations out on.

* * *

It really was ridiculous that McGee came back from his meeting with Elliot looking as though his dog died. The kid really needed a confidence boost. Nothing he said had any affect. He called Jethro for some ideas.

He knew that the boss had a lot more on his mind to care about Tim's fumbling attempts at placating a woman who didn't want to be placated. They were working as fast as they could to get the artifacts back as fast possible. Elliot just wanted them to work faster.

It was impossible.

* * *

Tony didn't know how to take Lane's comment that he didn't look like he could kill a man. He had killed before. Mostly when he was undercover when the death would never be linked back to Tony Gibbs, NCIS agent. But he figured that wasn't what Lane meant... He couldn't kill a man in cold blood. He didn't have that in him.

He also didn't like that Lane thought he was manipulating Jeffery. In a sense he was but no more than to get to the antiquities. He had to put Lane's mind at ease. Offering to leave was his only option. Though after that his only option was to stay close to the two men as possible and get to the artifacts before they did. Fortunately he was allowed to stay.

* * *

Jeremy wanted to say 'I told you so.' Even in the beginning he knew that they didn't have all of info they needed. Now that they had it, he wished they didn't.

Lane Harrison/Danielson was really Billy Collins, a knife wielding serial killer. Jeremy wished he could have seen Jethro's face when he found out.

And now it was even more imperative that they found him safe.

Wednesday December 14, 2004 (Again)

When Tim got back from MTAC, he was even more shaken than the last time. He kept muttering about federal toilets. Jeremy had no idea what that meant be he didn't like it. He really hoped that Jethro had a plan to help the kid. He needed a backbone and the Deputy Secretary of State was turning him into a worm.

It was a relief that McGee told Jethro about his problem. If it had been Tony... well it could never of been Tony. Even when he was still with his biological family he at least could fake at being confident in front of others.

He only heard one end of the conversation but when he heard the words 'stick it' he knew that he had to be up in MTAC when it happened.

* * *

Jeremy gave him an encouraging smile and went back to folding his paper planes. He already had two boxes filled with them. He could only imagine the fun he and Tony would have with them... as long as the director wasn't there to catch them.

It was a little unsettling... well more than a little unsettling, to have Jeffery sitting over him as he pretended to sleep. He was exhausted but he couldn't sleep on this op when he knew very little about the people he was with and with no backup... sleeping just was too dangerous. Though it was nice to have a chance to rest for a few hours.

Jeffery finally told him about the antiquities. He admitted that he had taken them along with Lane from the Navy Base. Unfortunately, he didn't tell him where he left them.

* * *

Jethro tried his hardest to ignore Kate. But she was like that shitzu Tony mentioned to the biker the day before. She had sunk her teeth into something and refused to let go. If it were anything else he wouldn't have minded but what she had was grating on his nerves.

"Let's break the pattern."

He eyed he wearily. "What pattern?"

"Dishonest silence pattern. I'll start. I'm worried for Tony. There. I said it. I dropped my guard for two seconds. I got it out. And now I'm happy."

"That made you happy?" While Kate wasn't a 'wear your heart on her sleeve' kind of person, she was far more emotional than anyone gave her credit for. But he didn't believe the crap that was spewing from her mouth. He hoped that Kate didn't believe that would get him to spill all of his fears to her. He was worried for Tony but he also knew that he could take care of himself.

"Yes. Don't you want to be happy, Gibbs?"

"I am happy."

"You don't look happy."

He was never more thankful that his cell decided to ring at that moment. "We're done with this."

"I thought we were." It seemed as though she really thought they were going a 'break through' in his seemingly cold demeanor.

McGee gave him the info he needed from the payphone they had been to earlier and then they were off.

* * *

It was a relief to leave the cabin, even if it was in Lane's car. In a way Tony was glad he had the car. It was a lot easier to drag Jeffery around in a car than on the bike. The place was uncomfortable and made Jeffery somewhat jittery. When Tony learned the reason...

"My father used to have a cabin like this. He used to bring me and my sister here."

"Good times." Tony should have known better when he heard the dread word, father.

"He used to beat the crap out of me." Tony didn't like how casual Jeffery was talking about his beatings. It reminded him too much of himself and his own experiences with his father. He once again gave his thanks that he had been rescued from all of that. "Your parents are supposed to help you. Not hurt you. Your father hurt you."

Tony decided to give him a half truth. "No, he was too drunk to hurt anyone." His mind went back to that Halloween. It didn't happen often and usually it was a 'punishment' but it did happen.

"I hate it here."

Tony had to get both of their minds off their horrible childhoods... and his off the fact he could have been Jeffery if it weren't for his mom and dad.

"Then let' get out of here, make us some money.

"Hell yeah!" cheered his companion. "Let's go make us lots of money!"

* * *

Jeremy watched proudly as McGee told off the Deputy Secretary of State. He stood in the shadows, not letting the kid know that he was there. Tim was brilliant with his speech that the woman was keeping him from his job. The entire room perked up when McGee told the her to 'stick it' just as Jethro had told him. Jeremy applauded with the MTAC staff after he ended the transmission.

Not too many people understood just how Jethro Gibbs inspired his team to do things they never thought they were capable of doing. He included himself in that regard. Jethro was the one who urged him to back to school even though he had Kristy to take care of. Jethro made it known that he a support system without getting sentimental about it... it was only Tony that those talks. But Jeremy knew that he was being taken care of when he offered to look after his little girl whenever he could.

* * *

Jeremy stopped making the paper planes when he learned that it wasn't Lane that killed all of those people is Seattle. Tony was stuck alone with a serial killer and there was nothing anyone could do about it. There was noway to tell him that he was in danger. He probably didn't even suspect that Jeffery was a killer.

He always had Tony's six back when they worked just the two of them. He may not be an agent but he was Tony's protector. Always had been and always will be. Now he couldn't protect his baby brother and that bothered him more than anything.

They found Lane's body. His throat slit from behind just like in Seattle. He probably didn't even know what happened until he was dead.

Hopefully they had a clue to where Tony and Jeffery they were going. Hopefully they would find the right Wal-Mart. Hopefully they could get to them before something happened to Tony. And hopefully Jethro got to him before Tony had to tell Jeffery that he was a federal agent.

* * *

Tony figured that he should have realized that something wasn't right the moment that Jeffery pulled over and climbed into the back for a nap. Really, who sleeps when they are about to get three million dollars.

He should have known that Jeffery was more than he appeared to be when he uttered the words 'you got my back'. He had been trained his entire adult life to watch his partners back no matter what. Never leave a man behind. Semper fi. They both had bee drilled into his psyche. Plus, it was the Gibbs way of life.

But Tony forgot one important thing. Jeffery White wasn't his partner and he definitely wasn't a Marine. He didn't live by those words. Jeffery White wasn't bound to protect him like his brothers in arms.

Still, Tony told him that he could protect him... give a deal if he turned on Lane. He was a federal agent and he could make it happen.

It didn't work out like that. Jeffery suspected that he was a cop the entire time. And there he was with a knife pressed to his neck and gun in hand.

It all came down to who was faster.

There really was no way to tell just how long he sat there. Jeffery White's body was laying against the backseat, his blood cover everything, including Tony. It could have been hours. In reality it probably wasn't more than half an hour.

Before he knew it, his dad was slowly approaching the car. He didn't know what it looked like to someone outside. That his slumped body gave the impression that he was severely injured at best and dead at worst. He was too drained to care. Because he really meant it when he said that he liked Jeffery. Even after making that vow that he wasn't going to be the guy's friend, he did. Like Jeffery said. It was part of the charm... And that made him even more thankful that he had a family to keep him reined in or he would have turned into something similar to Jeffery.

Saturday December 18, 2004

When Tony decided that he wasn't going to do something then he wasn't going to do it. Going to Brooke's art show was one of those he wasn't going to do. He used the excuse that he had a cold from falling into a stream. Jeremy doubted that was the real reason that Tony wasn't going but he accepted it. Nothing short of the plague would have kept Tony away if he wanted to be there. He knew that it would be a while before Tony got over killing Jeffery White. It was true that Tony had killed dozens of people but not once was it someone that he had grown attached to and definitely not at such a close range.

He knew that Tony was convinced that there was a different way things could have ended for White that didn't result in his death. From what Jeremy knew, he had no other options.

And what was worse was the paper plane massacre he found. Usually would have been the first one on the catwalk, tossing them down when no one looking... even though everyone would know that it was him and Jeremy up there. It was a clear indicator that Tony Gibbs was not as fine as he claimed to be.

What Tony needed was a father/son talk. First he had to get Tony out of his apartment and into the basement.

* * *

"Haven't seen since your assignment." Jethro was already sanding on the boat when Tony arrived.

"I told you. I have a cold."

Jethro raised an eyebrow. "Never stopped you from working before. If you wanted a few days off I would have given it to you."

"Why wouldn't I want to work? I love my job."

"But you love being alone when you're upset even more. I know that you're taking White's death pretty hard."

"I've killed before, Dad. Nearly as many as you have."

"If it isn't because you killed him at close range, then what is it?"

"I told him that I had his back. I told him that and he trusted me to keep him safe and I didn't. I betrayed him."

Jethro knew that was probably was only part of the problem and not as severe as the problem that was truly bothering Tony but it was a start.

"Did he ask you if you had his back or did you offer it to him, not knowing what he was capable of?"

"He asked me."

"Then he asked you for something that you couldn't give. You told me that he suspected that you were a cop. He knows that cops look out for innocents. You thought that White was an easily manipulated innocent and he played you on that. It has been ingrained in you for so long that the act was easy to fall for. Plus, being a Marine made it doubly hard."

"But I still said that I would protect him."

"It doesn't matter. White was a very dangerous person. You know that."

"His dad used to beat him."

That caused Jethro to pause. That was the problem. "You saw yourself in him."

"What?" Tony tried to brush it off. "That's ridiculous

"Tony, son, you are nothing like Jeffery White. You have a sense of good in you that White did have."

"You forget how we met. I tried to steal your wallet."

Jethro shook his dead. "You were trying to survive... just like you were when you killed White. Don't ever give up that desire to survive."

"Yes, sir."

There was still more they had to talk about but it could wait. Tony knew who and what he was at the moment and that was all that mattered.

* * *

Jeremy was wishing that he was at home... better yet, he wished had never came. It was as though everyone that he knew (except for the two Gibbs, Jimmy Palmer, and Ducky) was at the art show. Once it came clear that he was trying to spend his time between three groups of people (Brooke and Kristy, Kate, Tim and Abby, and the Hayes) they wanted to be introduced to each other.

He did and resisted the urge to bang his head against a wall. He was sure that the museum wouldn't like that too much.


	44. January 2005

CBS and Paramount Pictures own NCIS.

You're to Blame

**You are to blame for anything that is good in my heart. You are to blame for this change that has taken me by storm. - Mercy Me**

Spoilers: _Black Water_

Chapter Forty-four January 2005

Wednesday January 5, 2005

Thinking about 'what might have been' wasn't something that Jeremy did very often. With his past, doing such a would lead to a pain that he really didn't want to feel. It was pointless to do it in any case. Nothing could be changed.

But on Kristina's sixteenth birthday, those thoughts were inevitable. Mostly he thought about what life would have been like if Trisha, Kristy's mother, had lived. The outcome wasn't pretty. They all would have been different people. Kristy would have been forced to be a socialite whose full potential would been repressed and her intelligence reproved and hidden.

Jeremy stopped his thoughts when he saw that Tony was giving him worried glances from the ladder he was standing on, hanging blue and silver streamers.

"Is there a reason that you didn't hire a decorator?" asked Tony trying to lighten the mood with a whine.

"Remember any of your birthday parties from when you were a kid?"

"I remember the ponies that my mother insisted that I have one year. After that... well you know my father couldn't be bothered to acknowledge my birthday. The one year I thought he remembered he left me in Maui for a wealthy divorcee."

Jeremy winced at the reminder. That was the summer before he and Tony had been sent to military school. "Well, I do remember the parties my mother always insisted that I had. They were formal affairs that gave my father a chance to make business deals. The only good part was the presents and even then they were registered, like couples do for weddings. I always knew what I was getting. And I never got to have ponies at my parties."

"Yeah, they stopped when you started RIMA. That's one perk to having a winter birthday."

"That's so not the point. All I wanted was to have pizza with my friends at home with a few simple decorations."

Tony's mind flashed back to his seventeenth birthday and all those streamers and balloons. That was a real birthday party. "I understand now. I can't believe that I forgot about those horrible parties that my mother forced on me. I guess the good memories with Mom, Dad, and Kelly erased all of that." Tony paused.

"It's OK to miss them... all of them."

Tony didn't say anything.

* * *

The problem with living double lives was keeping things organized so that those lives didn't clash too often and when they did the consequences weren't too disastrous. If that meant having two parties then that was what they was what they were going to do.

One was with the Hayes family that started right after Addison got to the house after school. It was hard for all of them to believe that she was already in seventh grade.

Other was with just the team. Kate was a little confused why Kristy was having two parties. But figured that it really didn't matter.

The truth was that little Riley couldn't keep the family secret a secret if her life. They had to keep her away from the team, Kate especially, in case the tiny girl blabbed.

Alice and Bree hadn't been invited to either of the actual parties. They knew the most about Kristy's past but not enough to not raise suspicions for the NCIS only party. They weregoing to have a girls day out on Saturday... provided that non of them had any major projects that they to do.

Samantha was heavily pregnant with the triplets. She already looked to be full term instead of only five months. The men had refused to let her stand for longer than it took her to go to the bathroom. Alex only acted that way during her first pregnancy but that was stopped after only a month when she managed to convince him that she wasn't an invalid and since she worked at a hospital she of all people would know that.

But then again, she was only carrying one at the time.

It was fun watching the kids play _Twister_. Addison was nearly as tall as Kristy. While Antoine (call-me-Tony-or-I'll-glare-at-you), now 14, and Peyton, who was 10, where much shorter. It was easy for the two boys to tangle themselves around the girls causing them to nearly fall many times. Darby was having way too much fun with the spinner. She barely gave anyone time to reach for the new dots. Addison managed to get her leg under Antoine's knee and tripped him by 'accidentally' jabbing him. She moved before the older boy landed on her but kept her foot on the yellow dot. No one was sure how Peyton fell but trying to move his left foot green to yellow while trying to flip his entire around so that he was facing the ceiling probably didn't help.

That left Kristy and Addison battling it out. Though Addison was only twelve she was a only a good two inches shorter than her cousin. The two girls were ruthless when it came to playing games. Addison wasn't as athletic as Kristy but her years as a dancer ensured that she had pretty decent balance compared to the older girl.

"You're going down, dear cousin! Face it, you're too old for this game!" taunted Addison.

"Dream on, Adds! Don't forget that you're going to be sixteen in a few years."

"And you'll be twenty!"

"Will you two stop reminding us how old you're getting. You're making grandpa feel old."

"Grandpa or you, Uncle Jeremy," teased the younger Tony from his position on the floor.

"Hey, I'm only 35. That is not old. Besides the others are only a year or so younger than me."

"Isn't Sam and Tony closer to two years younger?"

"Can we just get on with the game? My arms are cramping." Two seconds later Addison collapsed taking Kristy down with her.

It didn't take long for Darby and Riley started to demand that they finally be allowed to have cake.

* * *

Kristy knew that it seemed as though she had a death wish, but watching her family and their co-workers play _Twister_ was worth it. The fact that the majority of them were over six feet tall made it even more so. They also learned why it was a bad idea to play with more than four people at a time... and when you do that it's fortunate that they had a doctor present.

Tony, Jeremy, McGee, Kate, Abby, Jimmy, and (much to his displeasure) Jethro took to the mat. Ducky, claiming that it was improper for a man his age to attempt to tie himself into a pretzel, grabbed the spinner from Kristy.

No one was surprised that McGee was the first to fall. Kate's elbow in his ribs made it impossible for him to stay upright for long. It amazed everyone that he didn't manage to take anyone with him.

They Jimmy sneezed causing both him and Jeremy to loose their balance after bumping heads. There was a brief pause in the game while Ducky checked them out to make sure there wasn't any damage.

Abby, being physically weaker than the remaining players, fell next. She had this indignant look on her face as she plopped herself next to Kristy.

Kate tried elbowing like she did with McGee but that only earned her a glare. When that didn't work she tried to distract him.

"That's not going to work, Katie."

"Don't know what you're talking about, Tony."

"Sure you do."

"Kate, stop trying to seduce Tony," ordered Jethro.

"I'm not―"

"Yes you are. And quite frankly, it's not something that I want to see on my birthday," said Jeremy.

"I second that, but can we focus here. I want to open my presents and I can't do that until the the entertainment portion of the evening is over. Now Ducky, can you please continue?"

"Left foot red." When Kate lifted her foot Tony gently kicked her left ankle.

"And that's how it's done!" He smiled as Kate stormed off to join Ducky and McGee on the couch.

The game continued for another hour. Jeremy took over spinning while Ducky went searching for tea. Kristy passed out books and magazines to the others.

"Can we please call it a draw?" begged Kate, putting down her magazine. "We'll be here for weeks if this keeps going on."

It only took them seconds to collapse.

After everyone was seated Abby passed out presents. Most of them were normal. Kate got each of them a few gift cards and Ducky gave the father and daughter pair tickets to a play he had seen while on one of his numerous adventures. Even Jimmy's gift of human anatomy trivia books to Kristy (he was too timid to get anything for Jeremy) wasn't too weird. But McGee...

"Grape juice? Um... thanks Time." Kristy forced a smile.

"Why grape juice?" asked Tony. He knew knew like that would usually earn him a head slap but since everybody else was just a curious he got away with it. "It shouldn't be that hard for you to find a gift for a young girl. You do have a sister."

"How do you know I have a sister?"

"Personnel file."

"I'm not going to ask why you were looking through my file."

Abby explained it anyway. "After Tony was nearly killed in Rota it became SOP on team Gibbs to read the personnel file of any incoming agent."

"I never read McGee's file," complained Kate. McGee visibly relaxed. "Do you have to look so relieved?" she snapped.

"Senior members of the team only Katie," said Tony smugly and Kate glared at him for using that awful nickname. "But can we get back to the matter at hand?"

"Grape juice," supplied Kristy when the others looked confused.

"Yes, why grape juice? Why not apple, orange, or strawberry kiwi?"

"Strawberry kiwi?"

"Hush Kristina. Let the man answer." Kristy rolled her eyes. She trusted Grandpa Jethro would reel him in if he took things too far. She could tell that Tony was just having some harmless fun.

It didn't look as though Tim was going to answer anytime soon. He couldn't explain why he bought a sixteen-year-old juice. McGee didn't know the girl that well and that made it difficult to shop for her.

"McGee, it there's a next time, just ask. Or better yet, try talking to my dad about what I might like. I promise he won't shoot you. He doesn't usually carry a gun. When I was younger he tried to keep me away from his work life but now that I'm older he can actually tell people that he has a daughter. Though one thing you need to know me is that I like to read so anything related books would be appreciated."

"Kristy, I thought I taught you not to lie," scolded Jeremy teasingly.

"I'm not lying. I do love books."

"Kiddo, you're a bibliophile. You practically have your own library. I think you even have some here."

"I have a few at my place," said Jimmy, shocking everyone. They all had forgotten that he was there. "She lent me them." He thought that it was best to explain why he had her books.

Thursday January 6, 2005

Normally Tony wouldn't have a problem with cuddling with Abby. But when Kate and McGee were added to that cuddle it became a little more uncomfortable to say the least. Fortunately McGee was lying on Abby's other side and Kate was curled up against his side. Tony knew that Kate well enough to know that she would likely hit him if she found herself in that position.

Tony had to get up but didn't seem to be capable of doing so without waking the girls. He didn't care so much about waking McGee.

He realized that he would have to kill Jeremy later for teaching his dad how to use a camera phone. He glared at him knowing that it wouldn't affect the older agent.

"Get me out of here!" Tony whispered urgently.

"But they look so comfy," Jethro whispered back. His eyes were filled with mischief.

"Well, I'm not."

With one last chuckle, Jethro pried Abby's fingers from Tony's shirt and rolled Kate over so that Tony could escape. Once he was free both men went for a run.

* * *

The rest of the team and Kristy, minus Ducky because he had to go home to check is mother, were awake by the time the two of them returned. Jeremy was at the stove attempting to make breakfast. There was a lump of coal that were masquerading as pancakes in front of McGee. Jethro took them away before his fork could touch them. He put them on the counter to have Abby test them later to see if they actually were edible. Jeremy wasn't amused in the least but Kristy looked as though she were ready for fall out of her chair laughing.

Jethro ordered Tony to be showered and back downstairs in fifteen minutes to make everyone or he'll be eating McGee's pancakes. Remembering the food poisoning he got the last time he ate Jeremy's cooking (nearly ten years previously), he got ready with time to spare.

Saturday January 8, 2005

Keeping secrets from someone you care about is never easy. Secrets that hide who you really are are even worse. Those secrets sometimes cause a very noticeable internal debate that won't be resolved until a decision is made to tell that person that secret.

For the Gibbs family that was especially true for Jeremy.

It wasn't even his secret to tell, not really. However, he had to tell truth at least part of the truth to Brooke if he wanted a future with her. He knew that he could trust her not to tell anyone but it was a lot to absorb. Jeremy wasn't sure if Brooke could handle it.

He looked into her eyes, decision made, and said, "We need to talk."

Thursday January 13, 2005

The case was solved and the suspect was in custody. Kate was en route to New York with Thomas McAllister. Jeremy was off somewhere with McGee, trying to console him when he learned his hero was a fraud who only cared about money.

And Tony was in the bullpen. Waiting.

He knew that he and Kate were friends. You can't go through half the stuff they did and not form some kind of bond. He trusted that she would have his six just as much as he trusted his unit back in Israel during the war. There were few that he would be willing to give that trust to.

But he had no idea just how narrow minded Kate really was until the McAllister/Black Water case. Ever since their argument back at the hangar things between them had been tense, at least on Tony's part. Thankfully it didn't affect their work so no one called them on it. Tony knew that if someone did say something then no one would have been able to concentrate. Things had to go as normal a possible or Cooper's plot may not have been noticed.

Now Tony was waiting for his dad to tell him to go home. But he wasn't sure if talking to him would help the situation. Kate was more than welcome to have her opinion on the wealthy. Maybe now, though, she would learn that not all kids that grew up with money had it easy growing up. He didn't give her any details of his life be he did remind her that there's things that more important than being wealthy.

In the meantime, there was paperwork that had to be done.

A/N I am so sorry for the long wait and that it's so short. First it the holiday weekend and my grandmother's memorial and then there was writer's block. I tried to cure it by writing an 'A-Team fic'. I managed to write over half of it before getting back to NCIS.

Plus, I haven't had a proper birthday party in a few years. Writing Kristy's sixteenth was especially hard. That explains the grape juice... no I did NOT get grape juice for my birthday. That's just sad.

I'm also going to do February 2005 and then go straight to May. Unless someone gives me a really good reason why I should do _Red Cell _or _Eye for an Eye._


	45. Feburary 2005

CBS and Paramount Pictures own NCIS.

You're to Blame

**You are to blame for anything that is good in my heart. You are to blame for this change that has taken me by storm. - Mercy Me**

Spoilers: _The Meat Puzzle, __Witness, _and_ Caught on Tape. _

Chapter Forty-five – February 2005

Wednesday February 

Jeremy sat across from Ducky as he sipped on some tea, long gone cold, and merely observed him. Even after a transfusion the old man was showing the affects of blood loss. The lines in his face were more evident and it looked as though he aged ten years since Jeremy last saw him.

"I never thought that I would one day have to speak to you after being held hostage. Tony, Kate, sure. It's part of the job for them. But you. You work in a lab. You're supposed to stay safe."

"We all have some amount of risk in our lives, my boy. The others more than myself, definitely. I thought you accepted that."

"I thought I had. But if you can be put into that kind of danger, what does that say about me? I put myself at risk every time I go out in the field. You almost died today and I can't let that happen to me, not while I still have Kristy to think about. I've been in life threatening situations before. Why is this time so different?"

"In some ways you are very much like Jethro." Jeremy smiled at the comparison. " You both have this innate need to protect those you deem unable to protect themselves."

"Ducky, I―"

"Oh, my dear boy, I actually find the gesture quite flattering. It's nice to know that someone cares about me that way."

"I think the whole team feels that way." Jeremy chuckled. "I thought that this little session was to make sure that you were dealing with everything. It seem as though you are trying to make me feel better."

"I found that sometimes it's better not to dwell on the negative and focus on the positive. I made it out alive. What more could I have asked for?"

That gave Jeremy something to think about. He didn't know how he would have reacted after nearly having his throat slit. However, he was positive that he wouldn't have taking it as well as Ducky.

"Well, I don't see any reason why you can't come back to work when you started to heal up a little."

Sunday February 13, 2005

They say that it's better to have loved and to have lost than to have never loved at all.

But is that the same when someone has that potential to love? Is it better to know that there was a possibility to love another and then to lose all hope in that possibility?

Is it less painful.

Even days after Erin's murder Tim was asking himself that question. _Was it better that he didn't know her well enough to truly love her? _He knew that he felt something for Erin. They had so much in common that it was impossible not to. It was rare for him to find someone that actually understood him. Not even Abby could fully claim that.

Jeremy warned him not to get attached. But Tim thought he knew better. He could keep his feelings for Erin and the job separate.

But then, after her death, he nearly killed a man in cold blood. If Gibbs had been there... McGee didn't want to think about what could have happened. Most likely he would have been in the cell that was meant for her killer whose name, in a unique twist, was Jeremy.

Tim still didn't know if he loved her. Maybe he did. Maybe it was a case of love at first sight. He didn't believe in such a thing before. Now that he had experienced it he was far more open to the idea.

Not that he was willing to fall in love again anytime soon. Because even if it wasn't love, it hurt too much to find someone else.

Saturday February 26, 2005

For being the shortest month of the year it felt unbelievably long. Too much had happened in too short of time and Brooke could see that it was bothering her boyfriend. She understood that Jeremy couldn't tell her everything but she could help him relax when he needed it. Plus, the things that he could talk about weren't meant for the ears of a sixteen-year-old, no matter how mature she was. She was also was certain that Kristy didn't want to hear about McGee's mishap with poison ivy. Actually, Brooke didn't want to hear about McGee's mishap with poison ivy... though the picture Jeremy had taken were pretty funny. She had never seen anyone react that badly to it before.

She decided to take Jeremy and Kristy to her cabin out in the outskirts of Virginia. It was where she usually went when she wanted to just paint, no technology to interrupt the pureness of her art.

Right now it was just to help her boyfriend and his daughter to relax. He had been on edge since Ducky had been nabbed. He wasn't as bad as right after the incident but Kristy had complained about the numerous calls he to her between her classes and after school. As much as she loved that Kristy confided in her, she wished it wasn't because her dad was driving her insane.

It didn't surprise anyone that Kristy wanted to spend the entire weekend studying. She had her finals coming up in May and she was trying to learn as much as she could. Although Jeremy had to point out that she probably could speak French better than her teacher and didn't need to study that subject. That got him a very thick book thrown at his head. Fortunately, it missed its intended target.

While Kristy was studying, Jeremy and Brooke went on walks. Jeremy, a city boy who never spent time in the forest except for the not so odd case at Rock Creek Park, was enjoying himself since this time since there was no murder that he had to investigate. The time at summer camp hardly counted because there were too many comforts of home around, such as a phone. Jeremy brought his cell in case of an emergency but had strictly forbidden Kristy to bring her. Her iPod was one thing she refused to leave home without. But he didn't think anything would happen and enjoyed everything around him. Though he was a bit startled when he heard some rustling in the brushes. It turned out to be a rabbit. Brooke was still laughing at him an hour later.

Sunday February 27, 2005

Brooke and Jeremy were lying in bed, just enjoying the others presence, when Brooke spoke up.

"Hey, Jeremy."

"Hmm."

"You know that the lease on my apartment is up next month."

"Yeah." He knew where she was going with this but he wanted to hear it from her.

"Well, I was wondering if it would be alright if I moved with you for a few weeks while I look for a bigger place, I can afford it now... or you know, we can test to see if we can live together without driving the other nuts."

"I think that's a great idea. Let me see if it's OK with Kristy first. I don't want her to be uncomfortable." He then rolled over her and gave her a lingering kiss which she was more than willing to give into.

A/N I never realized how boring the middle the second season was. Nothing happens between _Chained _and _SWAK. _It was fun watching the episodes but writing them with Jeremy isn't so much. In that case, I will be skipping to May of 2005. Only one reviewer mentioned writing _Red Cell. _Because of that I won't be rewriting it.

Also I'm sorry that this is so short. But since May is going to be so incredibly long I hope that you guys will forgive me... in your reviews which was very low last chapter (only eight). I need at least 13 a chapter now if I want 500 on chapter 50. That is if I did my math right, which I probably didn't because I totally stink at math.


	46. May 2005 pt 1

CBS and Paramount Pictures own NCIS.

You're to Blame

**You are to blame for anything that is good in my heart. You are to blame for this change that has taken me by storm. - Mercy Me**

Spoilers: _SWAK_

Chapter Forty-six – May 2005 pt. 1

Monday May 9, 2005

Tony should have known that it was going to be a bad day when the chain to Kelly's old strawberry necklace suddenly snapped as he put it on that morning. It was one of his closest kept secrets that he wore it nearly every day that he went into the office. Not even Jeremy knew that he still wore it.  
Tony wasn't sure if his dad knew though he suspected that he did.

Not once in the all the years since Kelly died had Tony even considered replacing the original chain that came with the locket. He had always been careful with it.

But right now he was running late. After putting the chain in the trash and the locket by his alarm clock he left for work, thankful that Jeremy was only working a half day (he had to recover from Kristy's weekend of reviewing everything that she learned from the beginning of the semester). Tony didn't want him knowing that something was wrong.

It was obvious, even from a distance, that Kate was sick. Jethro would let her stay as long as it didn't interfere with the job.

"Cold or flu?" he asked her.

"Just plain cold. Don't worry. I will sneeze into my tissues, unlike some people." Kate glared at Tony.

Tony thought that was a little unfair of her since he couldn't remember a time that he didn't sneeze into a tissue. He decided to play along anyway. "I have allergies, Kate."

"Never had allergies. Never had a cold."

"You never had a cold?"

"Nope. Never had the flu either."

"Why do I believe that?"

Tony ignored her for a moment. "You've had the chicken pox."

The others gave him incredulous looks. Tony didn't mean to let that slip.

"How do you know that?" asked Kate.

"Classified."

Thankfully, McGee broke the awkward silence. "I get colds all the time."

"Of course you do, Probie."

No one really remembered what happened next. All they knew was that Tony opened a letter that white powder in it.

Jethro and Kate moved quickly. Jethro ordered the entire floor to evacuate and tossed Tony a bottle of water that be promptly poured over his head before making a phone call saying that they were initiating bio-attack procedures.

Jethro quizzed McGee to see if he knew what they were supposed to do in this situation.

"Yeah, we shower, burn our clothes, get our blood tested. Nobody leaves the building until the substance is identified except…" They all glanced at Tony.

"Lucky me! I win a free trip to Bethesda to be pricked like a pin cushion."

"They've shut down the air. Let's hit the showers, Tony!"

"Thought you'd never ask. Sorry. Boss." They both wished that Tony could have called him 'dad'.

* * *

Jeremy arrived only twenty minutes after Ducky called him. He couldn't believe that Tony could be so stupid to open an unmarked envelope. With his history, Tony should have known not to trust something like that.

Ducky had given him a mask to keep him safe in case one of the team was contagious. Tony looked a little pink when he entered autopsy. Jeremy raised a questioning eyebrow and all Tony said was 'honey dust' while looking at Jethro. At first Jeremy was confused but when he realized what Tony meant he couldn't help but laugh at him, though he didn't want to know that about Jethro's love life either.

They then went to play the Blame Game. Well, Kate and McGee were and they both were blaming Tony. Jethro was trying to leave.

"Where do you think you're going?" demanded Ducky.

"To find out who sent the letter," he answered as though that was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Ah ah ah ah ah. You cannot leave autopsy. It's negative pressure so airborne pathogens can't contaminate the rest of the building."

"Ducky, I have been scrubbed, sanitized, for all I know, sterilized!" Tony flinched at that last word. "I have an investigation to open!" Ducky didn't understand. His kid was possibly sick and he had do anything that could make him better.

"I have a possible contagion to contain. Until your blood test clears you, I cannot permit you to leave this room," said Ducky in his version of yelling.

It wasn't long after that when the paramedic took both Tony and Kate to Bethesda.

Jeremy wasn't sure why he was sent up to help Abby. It was Tony that took all those forensic classes all those years ago. The test to determine what the white powder was would have been easy for Tony, even though, like for Abby, it would take a few hours to complete.

He knew what Jethro was feeling at the moment because he was feeling the same way. Useless. There was nothing any of them could do until the team were told that it was OK for them to leave isolation. No of the team could handle doing nothing very well.

* * *

It was hard to believe that the doctor's name was Brad Pitt. Though he made it quite clear that he wasn't related to Brad Pitt the actor. He made a joke about wanting to meet Angelina Jolie. For some reason the comment earned Tony an elbow to his stomach. He wasn't even the one to say it. He couldn't help thinking that Dr. Pitt was funny.

That was hours ago. Now Brad was telling him that it was plague. He could only imagine how his dad would have reacted when he learned what was in the envelope. Protocol was that anyone (other than the one who opened the damn thing or, in Kate's case, already sick) exposed to an unknown substance had to stay in autopsy. Tony couldn't see his dad, or any of the team, staying isolated until Abby heard back from NCID. He could just picture Jethro arguing with Ducky and then showing up in Abby's lab a Hazmat suit... and dragging McGee along with him.

Until Brad told him that it was the plague he didn't truly believe that he was going to get sick. Tony honestly thought that in all likelihood the sender was just an angry spouse or parent of an unsolved case that probably didn't even have anything to do with team Gibbs and thought to get revenge on the whole agency by causing unnecessary panic.

But now it seemed as though the angry spouse or parent had the ability to obtain rare and deadly medieval diseases.

Tony wasn't really sure how much time had passed but he knew that it had to been hours since he had been shipped off to Bethesda with Kate. What was important at the moment was to keep his mind off the fact that he was going to die. He didn't know that much about the pneumonic plague. He wasn't even sure what his chances of survival were due to his injured spleen from a few years back. He wasn't sure if the damage done affected his immune system enough to prevent the white blood cells to work properly.

He almost snorted. If Kate knew what he was really thinking she would start questioning if they were really his thoughts. He had to admit that most of his teasing was a way to outwardly deflect what was going on internally. He didn't want to talk to Kate of the what if might have had... McGee scared him enough back in the showers with all the talk of anthrax and talcum powder. Talking about movies and the blue lights being a placebo distracted Kate just as much as him... well it distracted her to a point. She did accuse him of being afraid. He was terrified but he wasn't about to tell that to Kate of all people. He had to stay strong.

His mind went back to an earlier conversation with Brad. Brad just happened to be the the Wolverine that almost cost him his undercover mission back when he first joined NCIS back in 1992 when he broke his leg during that Wolverine/Buckeye game in the fourth quarter. Most of his teammates thought he was devastated that he couldn't go pro. However he was far more concerned about how he was keep his 'friendship' with his suspect. Of course he couldn't tell Brad that he was only on the team because a NROTC (Marine Option) who was suspected of running a drug operation was also on the team. For some reason NCIS thought Tony was the only one who could pull off getting all the information they needed to make an arrest. It didn't matter that he was still a Marine himself and hadn't even gone through FLETC for more than two weeks. He always thought it was kinda funny that he was technically an officer in training when he left the Marines, a first lieutenant to be exact. That little fact was also kept from Brad in case Kate overheard him.

* * *

Luck wasn't on their side. After learning that the 'missive' wanted them to reopen an old rape case from 2001 they learned that it was one of Pacci's cases. Fortunately Special Agent Cassie Yates, who just happened to be in Annapolis, was his probie. But knowing that wasn't getting them any closer to who sent the letter and the cure that it promised.

They knew that it was Y. pestis. They knew that the was a moisture strip in the envelope. They knew that there were two SWAK's on the envelope, one outside and one inside, full of lead to prevent the Y. pestis from being irradiated. What they didn't know was how to stop the damn thing before it did too much damage.

At least that was all that Jeremy knew. He had been watching Jethro from the moment he entered the lab. The older man had been pacing back and forth ever since they were told that they could take off the Hazmat suits. No one, except for Abby, really knew how much Jethro needed to solve the case so that he could be at Tony's side. He had never been far from his son when he had been sick or injured. Even when Tony had the chicken pox he never left him for longer than he could eat or take a shower.

Jeremy had to pull Jethro away from the others so that they didn't overhear what he had to say.

"Jethro I know that you are worried about Tony, I am too, but you need to calm down or people are going to start asking questions that we can answer. You are acting like a scared parent and not like a federal agent. You won't be doing Tony any good if you can't control your emotions... I can't believe I just had to tell a Marine to control his emotions. You know that Tom will pull you if you can't control yourself. And then he'll reassign Tony. I know that you don't want that to happen since Morrow would likely send him to Bahrain or somewhere equally distant."

"Jeremy do not psychoanalyze me right now. He's the only family that I have left and I'm not going let this bitch destroy that." Jeremy had to admit that really hurt because he always thought that Jethro considered him and Kristy as family as well. "I have a job to do. Don't get in my way again."

"No you're getting in the way of those that do. I know you hate not doing anything but constantly pestering Abby isn't going to get results faster. Let Abby get her results and then you can go do your part and arrest the bitch that did this to Tony."

* * *

Kate knew what she was doing was insane. She had a responsibility to help Gibbs find the person who was doing this to them but she just couldn't leave Tony's side. After all of the torture he had put he through the last few hours she had no idea why she stayed. But she figured that someone had to be with him during what could be his last hours and since it didn't seem as though any family was coming it had to be her.

That was when she first heard the coughing. "Thanks for passing along the cold, Kate."

She sighed and went back to her bed.

* * *

Putting a name to the person that sent the letter brought no relief to Jethro. Hannah Lowell was a woman who protested everything. According she was more famous than Hanoi Jane and the photo of her sitting on that gun with North Vietnamese soldiers.

Unfortunately it was getting late and it wasn't likely that they would get anywhere near her at her private residence even with an warrant. Going to the office would make things a lot easier, especially with the fact that they had to search to building for the alleged cure anyways.

Tuesday May 10, 2005

It was just minutes after Lowell Pharmaceuticals opened that morning that Jethro, Jeremy (with Tony's new gun at his hip), and Cassie entered the building.

"How do you want to handle this?" asked Cassie.

"Subtle approach. You serve the warrant. I'll shove my Sig in her face."

"Jethro..." but Cassie cut Jeremy off.

"Gibbs, Hannah Lowell has been arrested at more protests than Jesse Jackson. She won't be intimidated."

"OK, then I'll shoot her and I'll go after whoever made the damn bug for her."

"Jethro..." Again he was interrupted.

"You're not going to kill her."

"I said shoot, not kill."

"In Gibbs speak there actually is a difference." He was ignored.

"There are dozens of microbiologists here. It would take days to interrogate them. Tony doesn't have days."

He didn't take the reminder of Tony's illness well and proved that by ignoring it. "Do you know where her office is or should I ask the receptionist?"

"Boss always had the top office."

They headed toward the elevator, ignoring the security guard that was trying to stop them.

Hannah Lowell claimed that he had no choice but to send the Y. pestis. That only a 'dramatic act' would get NCIS to admit that it was a Midshipman that raped her daughter. She didn't care that DNA testing cleared the sailors, the results can be tampered with after all.

She was also dying.

So Jethro lied. He couldn't give Hannah the satisfaction of knowing that someone was sick... that his son was sick. The chance of Hannah going to prison was slim so he did this for himself. It also caused her to slip the name of the person who developed the Y. pestis, Dr. Pandy.

* * *

Tony was exhausted after getting his latest set of x-rays. All he wanted was some sleep but he was afraid to even close his eyes. He was afraid that if he did he might not open them again. He was afraid that he wouldn't get enough oxygen if he wasn't actively trying to force it into his lungs.

It was an odd thing reminding yourself that you have to breathe. Breathing was the most natural thing in the world and now he had to tell himself to catch his next mouthful of air. The nasal cannula could only do so much for him.

It was scary how similar this was to when he had chicken pox.

But he had his dad when he had the chicken pox. Now, he had Kate. Tony liked Kate, he really did, but it just wasn't the same. He needed his dad.

He closed his eyes.

When Tony opened his eyes again the last person he wanted while in his situation was sitting at the foot of his bed.

"Kelly."

"Hi big brother. Miss me."

"You know I do." Reality sunk in. "I'm dead, aren't I?"

"No, not yet."

"Why are you here?"

"Because you're giving up. I'm always here when you're sick or injured. You just never noticed me because you never give up on living... even that time when you got shot in the spleen. Mom didn't like that too much."

Tony chose to ignore the comment about mom not liking him getting shot. "It's just so hard to breathe right now."

"I know, Tony, but you have to wake up and keep trying. Daddy would be devastated if you died. I think that he might actually take your death even harder than mine and Mom's."

"Dad's still devastated by your death. I don't think he'll ever move on."

"He has to. Just like you have to. But that isn't going to happen if you don't breathe."

"I'm trying Kel."

"Don't just try. Do!"

"You sound like my old DI. You spending time with Marines up in Heaven?"

"You're dying and you make jokes." Kelly rolled her eyes. "Please, Tony, Mom and I aren't ready to see you up here."

"I don't know if I can, baby sister. I'm just so tired."

"Yes, you can. You're a Gibbs and Gibbs don't let some stupid bug keep them down for long. Now, breathe!"

* * *

Kristy was furious and was exactly sure why. Scratch that. She knew why she was angry, she just didn't know who to direct that anger at... other than the person who thought it was clever to send a letter of plague to NCIS.

She couldn't be angry at Tony. Yes, he was stupid enough to open an unidentified envelope, but he had no way of knowing what was in it. And he had no reason to believe that anyone would send a biological attack to NCIS.

Mostly she was angry that it was Jimmy Palmer of all people that called her during school. Sure, Jimmy was a friend but when a member of her family was dying from the plague she felt she deserved a call from someone a little higher up than the assistant medical examiner who was likely to be out of a job in less than a month. She didn't know Ducky's old assistant but she had heard rumors that his physical therapy was coming to an end and he was expecting his old job back.

It wasn't as though Kristy thought she deserved a call from the director himself. Heck, she even understood why it wasn't even Grandpa or even her dad. But Ducky and Abby both knew how much family meant to their odd little group. Either one of them could have taken five minutes to let her know that Uncle Tony was in Bethesda fighting for his life... and definitely not over twenty-four hours since he was first admitted.

Now she was stuck at school. Apparently you can't sign out if the little old lady that was temporarily in charge in the office didn't believe you when you say that you got a call that your uncle was in the hospital with a medieval disease. It also didn't help that she never heard of NCIS and wouldn't listen no matter how much the other people in the office told her that it was an actual agency. She was older than them so she _had _to be right. With security as tight as it was since the incident at the dance, it was impossible for her to sneak out.

She reluctantly turned her attention back to her teacher. Exams were coming up and the teachers were trying to cram as much information into their brains as possible. She couldn't afford to miss out on learning just because she was worried.

* * *

It was hard to accept that after all they had to do to find Hannah Lowell that the promise of a cure had been false. Jethro knew that Lowell may have been lying but a huge part of him had hope that everything would just go away.

But Lowell had been lying, unintentionally. The tumor made sure of that. There was no cure. There was only a vaccine that was useless for Tony.

Cassie took in the scene in front of her. Gibbs pointing a SIG at the man that created the possible death sentence of one of the strongest men she had ever met. Jeremy's hand was on his shoulder, keeping him from doing something he'd regret and non-verbally reminding him that shooting Dr. Pandy wasn't in his best interest. She cursed herself when she realized she let her mind wander.

"... a woman who fought to ban biological weapons use them?" said Dr. Pandy nervously.

"I don't know. Why is Lowell Pharmaceutical making them?"

"We're not."

"You didn't create this beast?"

"Yes! But only to develop a defense against it. Antibiotic resistant diseases ate potential terrorist weapons."

"A terrorist isn't killing my son, you are!"

Cassie's eyes widened. She knew that Tony and Gibbs were close. Everyone knew that. She, however, did not know that Tony was his son. But as she thought about it, it made sense. Gibbs was overprotective of his team but when Tony was involved there was a gleam in Gibbs' eye that no one could understand.

She got over her shock long enough to learn that the Y. pestis had a suicide gene. It was dead or was going to be dead soon. But that didn't mean that Tony didn't have a long fight in front of him. The damage was done. Cassie saw Jeremy's finger's tighten on the older man's shoulder as he tightened his on the gun.

"Damn it! What was the survival rate?"

"Fifteen percent."

* * *

During the last two years Kate had learned that Tony was the strong one... the glue that held the team together. But right now she had never seen anyone so weak.

It wasn't fair that he had to suffer through this. Sure he was annoying with all of his movie references and weird quirks, but some of that also was what made him endearing. If he lived it would be worth it to endure it all the more.

But then he stopped breathing and she was ushered out of quarantine. She found herself wrapped in Ducky's embrace.

"You were brave to stay with him, Kate."

"He's dying, Ducky." She didn't care who saw her tears. She couldn't be the strong one anymore. Then she heard Gibbs storming in.

"The hell he is!"

Jethro pushed passed the doctor after quietly telling him that he was his patient's boss and that the virus was dead.

He knew that there would be repercussions for letting it slip to so many people at Lowell's office that he was Tony DiNozzo's dad, especially when one of those people was another agent. Though Jethro didn't think that Cassie would have a problem with them working together. It had been nearly three years that they became partners and they proved that they wouldn't let their emotions get in the way of a case. Even now, with Tony seriously sick, Jethro was able to keep his personal feelings separate from work. He wasn't about to let the director disband the team when Tony needed him the most.

He finally reached his goal when he was by Tony's side. It was he was supposed to if it weren't for Lowell.

"Hey, kiddo, I'm here. It's okay now. I know you're tired but you need to listen to me." Jethro's fingers found there way to Tony's hair and brushed it off from his forehead. "Are you listening to me?"

Tony forced in a breath of oxygen before answering. "I'm listening, Dad. I always listen."

"Remember when you were a kid and had chickenpox. You fought that. Now, I'm telling you to fight this. You are not going to die, you got that?" He paused for answer. "I said, you will not die." He ran his fingers through his sweat soaked hair again and then gently head-slapped him.

"Okay, I got you, Dad."

He stood there for a few more minutes until Tony fell into a fitful sleep. He would have preferred a deep sleep but this was better than nothing. Jethro then slipped Tony his new phone before leaving to finish his job.

* * *

It turned out that Hannah Lowell's daughter had lied about the rape. Sarah didn't want her mother knowing that she was having sex.

Kate wasn't sure why she was so surprised that Gibbs was sleeping in the bed next to Tony when she arrived to check on him and maybe even spend the night herself. The man was very protective of his team and when Tony was involved he was almost overprotective. Of course he would come to the hospital to be with him once the case was solved.

Fortunately Brad and Emma didn't seem to mind that she wanted to stay as well. Tony needed as many friends around him as he could. She was certain that if it weren't for Kristy, Jeremy would be there as well. But he had to do damage control for forgetting to tell her that Tony was sick. Abby and McGee were waiting to see him when he was stronger. Abby because she didn't want Tony to see her cry and McGee because he didn't think he could handle seeing Tony weak when he was usually so strong.

Saturday May 14, 2005

It was hard to convince Abby that having a welcome home party for Tony was a bad idea. Sure he was in the hospital for less than a week but that was enough for Tony even though he was still sick. However, a party would only overwhelm him. He was still weak and sometimes had problems breathing. He didn't want Abby to think that he wasn't ready to be on his own. Knowing her she would move in whether he wanted her to or not. He definitely didn't want her at his apartment.

It was bad enough that Jethro had taken over his guest room. Actually if Jethro had his way Tony would have been staying at the house but no one wanted him in a environment that had so much sawdust.

Jethro had assigned Kristy and Brooke to make sure there wasn't anything in Tony's apartment that could make Tony sicker. He felt bad making the teen clean while she should have been studying but he knew that Kristy knew the material. Being away from her books wasn't going to hurt. Plus she did say that she wanted to be useful.

Though if Jethro had his way he wouldn't have to leave Tony at all while he was on sick leave. Morrow on the other hand said no before Jethro even asked. At NCIS he was Tony's boss first and his dad second. He should just count himself lucky that Cassie has agreed not to tell Morrow that she knew. It really wasn't any of her business.

Tony was just relieved that he was finally going home. Sure he still had trouble staying awake for longer than an hour and his appetite was next to nothing. It was the latter that made Brad reluctant to let him leave. However he was reassured that Jethro was going to be there to force him to eat if need be.

Monday May 16, 2005

"Hey, McGee?" called Kate from her desk. "Have you ever noticed anything odd between Tony and Gibbs?"

"No, should I have?"

"I don't know. Whenever I went to check on Tony over the weekend Gibbs was there."

"That's not that unusual. If any of us got the plague I'm sure he would have come to visit us."

"Yeah, visit. But it seemed like he practically moved in. You should have seen how familiar he was with Tony's kitchen. I'm barely familiar with _my _kitchen. I mean, have you ever been to Tony's place? It's huge."

"Well, Tony does like his luxuries."

"And that's another thing. He never calls Tony by his surname... well he does at crime scenes but he calls all of us by our surnames at crime scenes. I've never heard him call you Tim before. Even I get the occasional 'Todd' at the office."

"Gibbs has known Tony for a long time. There's bound to be familiarity between them."

"Four years isn't that long." McGee couldn't help but think that Kate was trying to make him feel jealous to encourage him to want to investigate their coworkers. "Besides, whatever is going between the two of them is no of our business."

Kate knew that as well, but it didn't stop her from wanting to know more.

A/N I'm so, so, so sorry for leaving this story for so long. Writer's block really is a b*tch.


	47. MAy 2005 pt 2

CBS and Paramount Pictures own NCIS.

You're to Blame

**You are to blame for anything that is good in my heart. You are to blame for this change that has taken me by storm. - Mercy Me**

Spoilers: _Twilight, Kill Ari part one_

Chapter Forty-seven – May 2005 pt. 2

Friday May 20, 2005

Kate couldn't understand what was going on with Gibbs. By his standards, he was arriving late every morning and leaving early each night.

There was only so much paperwork they could do without it becoming tedious. Although McGee didn't seem to mind the repetitiveness of the the last few weeks.

She would never admit it out loud that she missed Tony. He just had a way to make things seem not so bad.

But that didn't she was above trying to figure out what was going on. She had the prefect excuse to go over to Tony's apartment. Soup. Kate had the feeling that the only one that could cook between Jeremy, Gibbs, and Kristy was Kristy. And from Jeremy's complaining Kate knew that most of Kristy's time was spent studying for he final exams. She almost felt sorry for Tony that he probably only had canned soups and broths to sip on for the past two weeks.

"What are doing here, Kate?" asked Gibbs after he opened Tony's door.

"I thought that you might want to take a break from watching Tony. Spend some quality time with your boat."

"That isn't necessary. Besides, can't work on the boat. Don't want any sawdust coming over here. But come on in." He shouted something in a foreign language that she didn't recognize to Tony. It was moments like that, that made Kate wish that she paid more attention in her own language classes. "You can put the soup in the kitchen."

"Are you sure you don't want to leave? Maybe take a nap in your own bed?"

Blue eyes suddenly turned steely gray on her. "Is there a reason why you're trying to get rid of me, Agent Todd?"

"I told you, I thought you would want a break from Tony."

"Well, I don't."

"Can I at least visit Tony for a while?" _At least then Tony would have company that actually knew how to communicate, _thought Kate. She knew that Tony would be sleeping a lot still, but after two weeks he wouldn't need as much sleep as he did when he first left Bethesda.

"We were about to start a movie. You're more than welcome to join us."

"Since when do you watch movies?"

"Since Tony can't do anything but laze about on that couch of his. And I really don't think he would want me to read to him."

"Actually Boss that doesn't seem like a bad idea. I think Kristy left her copy of _Pride and Prejudice _here for me after she ripped mine."

"You read _Pride and Prejudice_?"

"Always so surprised. I got introduced to the classics back in the late eighties... after I left high school. My English classes were probably nothing like yours."

"Apparently."

It was halfway through _Air Force One_, Gibbs' pick, that Kate noticed that Tony was asleep. Gibbs noticed it as well when Tony started to mumble something about horses. He turned off the DVD player like a pro and motioned for Kate to go back into the kitchen. She watched from the door as Gibbs helped the younger man to his bedroom. She was tempted to follow but was a little afraid of what she might see. After a few minutes Gibbs joined her and helped himself to Tony's supply of coffee.

"You want to tell me why you're really here."

"To drop off soup."

"Cut the crap Kate. We both knew that you didn't come all the way over her because of soup."

Kate knew that she had better just confess why she was there. "You're over here all the time.

"So?"

"So? Gibbs, this isn't normal behavior. I have never met a boss that would camp out at a subordinate's apartment like you are with Tony."

"Kate, if it had been you who had gotten the plague, who would be taking care of you right now?"

"My mom would probably fly out here, maybe my sister. What does that―"

"Tony doesn't have a mom. His friends are either married or have families, or is Corral... who I wouldn't trust with a pet rock. Brooke takes care of him when I'm at work but Tony isn't her responsibility. If I have to give up time with my boat..."

"Are you two lovers?" Kate blurted out. "I won't tell anyone if you are. I mean, it really isn't my or anyone else's business if you are in a relationship with each other. It's just that you two seem to be really close."

Gibbs took a moment to process what Kate said and began laughing. He never thought that anyone would mistake his and Tony's bond as a romantic relationship. "Kate, go home. You must be missing out on a lot of sleep if you think Tony is my lover."

Tuesday May 24, 2005

It was on days like today that Jethro Gibbs wished that he was having a nightmare. It was days like today that he wished that he could just turn back time. It was days like today that that he wished that he could just bury his head in the sand and pretend that the day never happened.

But he couldn't.

It was only yesterday that Tony returned to work. He still had a week left of sick leave but the was do denying that his kid was bored at home while he went to work each day. And if Tony thought that he was ready to return in spite of the fact that he still had trouble breathing at times, Jethro was going to allow it.

So much happened during those past forty-eight hours Jethro didn't even know where to begin. Although he did know where it all ended.

Ari Haswari.

Oh how he wished that he wasn't being serious when he told Tony that someone was trying to kill them again. They were still getting over the damn plague. All of them, not just Tony.

And now Special Agent Caitlin Todd was dead.

Everyone knew that it was Ari who killed her. Just like they all knew that it was Ari who killed two sailors just so he could blow up hundreds of Navy families... many of them were still only children.

He called them soft targets.

Kate shouldn't have been a target.

The bastard was after him. Kate didn't deserve to be killed just because Ari had issues with him... or more correctly because he had issues with his father.

Kate shouldn't have been a target. Kate shouldn't be dead. Kate shouldn't have died for him.

He, none of them, had the time to grieve. Not until Kate got avenged. Not until he, all to them, got their revenge.

* * *

It was the last call Jeremy wanted at the moment. Samantha had finally given birth. Two boys, Skyler and Jayden, and an unnamed girl.

He hated that he had tell Alex over the phone that Kate was dead. He hated that he had to destroy what should have been the happiest day of his life... since Riley was born.

The girl was going to be called Caitlin. Alex didn't care if he had to fight Sam over it, not that he thought he would have to. Sam loved Kate like a sister. Sam would agree to honor their fallen friend in spite of wanting to give all their children gender neutral names. Sam would be one of the first to cry for Kate.

Only Abby would give into that need. Only Abby _could_ give into that need.

But Kate wouldn't want their tears.

Jeremy knew that he should have been with Abby. He should have been giving her the comfort he knew she needed.

But he knew how hard it was to give someone comfort when he needed it himself. His mind went back to when Shannon and Kelly were killed. To when Jethro tried to give Tony comfort after losing his mom and sister, but couldn't because he was too far into his own grief to give it to him.

He knew that Jethro and Tony would only see Kate as another woman that they failed to protect. Just like they couldn't protect Shannon and Kelly. He felt the same way even though he was no where near the warehouse Kate was killed. He wasn't an agent. He wasn't allowed to go with them.

This was one of those moments that he wished he had become a full agent.

Realistically he knew that his presence wouldn't have prevented Kate's death. Or if it had he would have been the one on Ducky's slab. If he was right about Ari's reason for killing Kate, then he would have been the one in Kate's place. Ari would have loved to leave Kristina an orphan.

* * *

Kristy knew that if she had spotted the man before he spotted her, she would have ran in the opposite direction. There was just something about him that screamed danger. But it was too late to run and he knew that it was too late for her to run.

"Miss Parkinson, I have a message for Agent Gibbs and his team." Kristy stepped back from him. "Don't worry Miss Parkinson. I'm not going to hurt you."

"What's your message?" She knew that it was pointless to deny that she knew Jethro Gibbs.

"I didn't kill Caitlin Todd."

"What!"

* * *

"Would you care to tell me why a creepy man with a weird accent came to my school to tell me to give you a message?" Kristy stormed into the bullpen and approached her dad's desk.

"What man? What did he say to you?"

"That he didn't kill Kate. Please tell me that Kate isn't dead." Sure she wasn't Kate's biggest fan but she didn't want her dead.

"I'm so sorry, baby. She is."

"What happened? And don't tell me that you can't discuss open cases with me. I became involved the moment that man told me that Kate was killed."

"Do remember when Grandpa had his arm in a sling last year..." At Kristy's nod Jeremy told her everything that happened during the last eighteen months that Ari did to the team.

* * *

It was raining when Ducky arrived at NCIS. For some reason it seemed appropriate for what he was about to do.

He had done many autopsies during his long tenure as a Medical Examiner for NCIS. More than he would have liked to admit were those of agents that he had gotten to know. But somehow doing Caitlin's autopsy was different. Maybe because she truly was a friend to him.

As much as Ducky hated doing autopsies on friends he couldn't disrespect her so much so to not do it himself. But when he looked down at her face after opening her body bag, he realized just how hard this was going to be.

"Oh, Caitlin. I am so sorry."

* * *

Jethro didn't know what was worse, knowing that it was his fault that Kate was dead or knowing that in spite of the fact that she was dead he was still expected to lead his little misfit team. Fortunately the only member of his team at the office was Jeremy and for once he wasn't pressuring him to talk. He was actually letting him pull himself together before having to face the others. He was grateful for that.

The only time that Jeremy didn't actually speak to him was to tell him that Kristy was in Abby's lab and that Ari approached her. There was no way that he was going to let the teen leave now with Ari on the loose. He wasn't going to let any of his team leave unless it was they were going to where Ari was. Well, he wasn't sure if he was going to leave Jeremy behind or not. He was a member down now and he could use the back up.

He was relieved when Tony and McGee made it back. He felt far more comfortable knowing that his boys were where he could see them. But he hated how lifeless Tony sounded as he and McGee gave their report.

It didn't make Jethro feel any better knowing they found Ari's sniper's nest. And it really didn't make him feel better knowing that he had the the shell casings of the bullet that killed Kate. But it confused him, no sniper leaves behind their casings. He couldn't help but wonder what kind of game Ari was playing.

That the casings were so clearly marked as Lapuas .308s also confused Jethro. It made it so much easier for them to trace the bullets knowing who made them.

Then McGee went back to his old stuttering self again. "I-I didn't mean that you couldn't see that, Boss."

"I can't without my glasses." Jethro didn't even seem to realize that he was talking and Tony and Jeremy were aware of that fact. "Lapuas. Match-grade sniper ammo." He forced himself out of his daze. "You guys find any bullets?"

"Uh, none that matched the casings. I left three guys on the roof searching." There was an uncomfortable pause... well it was uncomfortable for Tony, Jeremy and McGee. Jethro went back into his daze, entranced by the casings that were still in his hand. "McGee and I'll go back to the roof, Boss."

Jethro pulled himself from the daze when Tony flinches when he handed him the evidence bag back. Tony never flinched away from him before... not since those first few months back when he was a teenager.

"You're soaking wet, Kiddo. Go put some dry clothes on."

It wasn't hard to conclude that Kate really was the intended victim. Ari was too good of a shot for it to have been anyone else. Eli David wouldn't allow anything less, especially not from one of his children.

But the real question was why was Kate Ari's target. Ari having a 'thing' for her didn't explain why he did it. Everyone knew that he was after Jethro.

Tony also couldn't help but notice that Jethro was behaving oddly. Offering to get the three of them coffee just wasn't something that he did. Sure in the early days, when Vivian Blackadder was still around, Jethro would bring Tony and Jeremy back coffee but it didn't happen as often as it before. Never had he asked McGee if he wanted one. And never had he called the junior agent by his first name.

* * *

Jethro was being nice and Tony didn't like it. Like he told McGee, he wasn't the boss when he was being nice. While at work he always kept his emotions to himself even if that made him seem cold. Something had to be done about that.

It was almost a relief to be sent down to Abby to give her the shell casings that Ari left behind in his sniper's nest.

Almost.

When Tony found her (after he had changed) she was laughing. Abby was a happy woman. She laughed often and freely. But there was something off with the way that she was laughing. It was the kind of laugh that you make you refuse to cry. Abby had to cry eventually. She wouldn't be Abby if she didn't.

When he called Abby's name she stopped laughing.

"Hey, Tony." There was a smile on her face but it didn't reach her eyes.

"You okay?"

"I will be, soon as I tie up my pigtails There. What can I do for you?" Tony only stared at her. "What?"

"You're weirder than Dad."

"How so?"

"He's being nice."

"Gibbs is always nice."

"To you and Ducky at work, maybe, to me... growls at, smacks on the head."

Abby rose from her stool. "Which makes you feel wanted."

"Yeah," Tony sighed.

"What d'ya got for me?"

".308 casings from Ari's sniper's nest," he answered after a pause.

"You would have to give me the most popular caliber in the world."

"Well, hey, I just found them. Can you tell what kind of gun he used?"

Abby was quickly becoming annoyed and rolled her eyes. "A .308."

"What model .308?"

"You don't know?"

"Would I be asking?"

"Well, how'm I supposed to know?"

"Because you're the firearms expert."

And that started the rant. He knew that it would be hard to find the exact model of .308 that killed Kate. He knew that Abby had a lot of work ahead of her. But he also knew that she was the best for the job. He knew the forensics of bullet casings pretty well himself but he knew next to nothing compared to Abby.

"The rounds are Lapua," he told her gently.

"What?" Tony took note of how tired she sounded.

"Lapua made the ammo. Logo's on the round."

"Tony, I'm going to miss her."

Tony pulled her into a hug. "Me too."

He had no idea how long he had been holding her when the window right above them shatters. Tony pulls Abby down and protected her with his own body until he was certain that it was safe for them to get up. It was obvious that she was terrified by the way she was feeling him up. Yes he had muscle but this wasn't the time for Abby to admire that fact. He had to make sure they it was safe enough for them to move.

It really wasn't that much of a surprise that only minutes after the shooting Jethro was there. He always had a weird way of knowing when one of his own was in danger. Although Tony wasn't sure if he knew what exactly that danger was and told him to get down.

Jethro started to give Tony orders (after making sure Abby was okay) even though his gut was telling him that Ari was already gone. There was only one shot and Ari would only stay long enough to make sure that there wasn't anymore targets. Plus it was his job secure any crime scene and that area between the bridges was definitely a crime scene. However that didn't stop him from making sure that Tony stayed low while getting to a phone so that he could follow those orders.

As soon as Tony was gone he pulled Abby close to him. He did the same thing many times with Kelly when she was scared. For once he didn't feel any amount of guilt for comforting a girl that wasn't his precious daughter. Kelly would understand that Abby needed to be comforted.

Even if meant promising to get her bullet-resistant glass.

* * *

Visiting Ducky in autopsy was hard, especially with Kate's covered body still on one of the metal slabs. He barely managed to keep his face neutral when the old ME said that he never lost a woman. While he never lost one in combat he did loose but he did loose Shannon and Kelly.

Yes, he was a chauvinist. Women weren't meant to meet such violent deaths. They shouldn't have to know the horrors of battle. They weren't supposed to be equal in that way. They weren't supposed to be equal in death.

And the same questions still remained. Why Kate? Why not him?

* * *

It wasn't everyday that Jethro is thankful that a terrorist shot at one of his team. Ari would have gotten McGee if hadn't had to take cover behind the car. It would have killed him if he had to bury two agents... especially one as young as McGee. He wasn't even thirty yet.

His eyes snapped over to the elevator when Tony arrived. Ari didn't police his brass again. He had a feeling that Ari was going to do that again. He didn't know what the bastard's game was but he didn't like it

He also didn't have a lot of time to update Director Morrow.

Jethro watched the screen in MTAC only half interested. He didn't have the time to care about what was going on half a world away. He really didn't have the time to make small talk with Morrow (he was almost insulted that Morrow thought he served in Vietnam. He didn't look that old). And he REALLY didn't have the time for Morrow to ignore the truth that Ari was the sniper. The man was putting off telling him something that he didn't want to hear.

Jennifer Shepard was the last person he expected or wanted to see at the moment... she was just one more woman that he had to protect from Ari. He had no problem with Jenny being the director. They were lovers, but that was six years ago. It was a long time ago and he held no grudge that she left him to pursue her career.

But he didn't need her doubting him that it was Ari that killed Kate and had tried to kill Abby. That would only get in his way of getting finding the evidence he needed. He also didn't need her attitude. It wouldn't be long before she would resign to the fact that he was going to call her 'Jen'. He did still consider her to be a friend.

After getting an update and giving a few orders to Tony (feeling a little annoyed with the looks that Tony was giving her) he left.

"Tony, if you're going to leer at random women, which totally out of character, don't do it in front of my daughter."

"I don't' know what you're talking about, Jeremy."

Jeremy shook his head. "I've seen you appreciate women, I've seen you admire women, but I have never seen you leer."

"It's true Uncle Tony. What's gives?"

"Boss is acting weird. I'm trying to fix that. If that means acting out at the office then I will."

"You're going to end up with a concussion with all the pent up rage he's going unleash on your head when he smacks you," Jeremy semi-joked

"I have a hard head. It might have calloused after all the abuse it suffered these past fifteen years."

"I don't think even your head will survive the fallout of the Gibbs' temper," said Kristy

"I was not aware that this was a daycare center," said a young woman that seemed to appear out of no where.

"It's not," snapped Kristy. "I'm only here for my own safety."

"I did not mean to offend. I was not aware that federal agencies in America allowed children in their buildings."

"Well, I guess you're not all that familiar with NCIS then, are you?"

"Perhaps not."

"Who are you?" asked Tony before a fight could start between the visitor and Kristy.

"Ziva David, Mossad."

"You're Israeli?" Tony racked his brain for why that name seemed familiar.

"Very good, the way you made that connection. Mossad, Israeli."

"Actually the fact that your name is Ziva clued me in that you're Israeli. That and your accent is a big give away. What can I do for you, Miss David?"

"Nothing. I'm here to see Special Agent Gibbs."

"He's not here," answered Jeremy. He knew that Tony would try to play games with the woman... and to both their embarrassment, likely lose.

"He'll be back in an hour. You sure I can't help you?"

She had the audacity to tut at him. "I don't think so."

"Let's start over. I'm Special Agent Tony DiNozzo. That's Dr. Jeremy Parkinson. And what we were talking about isn't really any of your business."

"Well, your doctor does have a valid point, you really shouldn't leer at women you do not know in front of children."

"I wasn't leering at anyone."

"There's usually nothing wrong with leering. Women do it to." She gave Kristy a look. "In a few years that one will probably will be too. I am sure men would love to get a few looks from someone as pretty as you... or perhaps other women."

"Okay, are you trying to creep me out? If you are your tactics could use a little work."

"I am merely stating a fact."

"That isn't a fact if you were raised to respect others. Apparently you weren't."

"Kristina go down to the vending machines and get yourself something to eat." The look in Jeremy's eyes told Kristy not to argue. She left knowing that she should probably take her time.

Jeremy's eyes went to the woman as soon as Kristy was safely in the elevator. "I would appreciate it if you didn't talk like that in front of my kid, Miss David. She's only sixteen. Now, will you tell us how we can help you."

"You can't help because I'm here to stop Special Agent Gibbs from killing a Mossad officer."

"Ari Haswari?"

"Yes."

Tony beckoned Ziva closer. "I'd wish you luck, but I want the bastard dead, too."

* * *

In the years since Shannon had died Jennifer Shepard came the closest to Jethro had come to finding someone that he could see himself spending the rest of his life with. He had even spoken to Tony about her on more than one occasion. She was smart, witty, and one hell of an agent. She was was also ambitious.

It was that ambition that had her leave him alone in a Parisian hotel.

Jethro was grateful that he never told Jenny about Tony. She would probably be less willing to let the two of them work together than Morrow was. And now the secret would leave with Morrow. Especially since she was nothing like the woman that he knew all those years ago.

Before she wouldn't have doubted him.

* * *

Tony was still trying to figure out where he had met Ziva as she stared at him.

"You're from a wealthy family."

Jeremy quirk an eyebrow, wondering where Ziva was going with this and how Tony was going to respond.

"Really."

"Born and raised on the east coast. New England boarding school. Spent some time in the Midwest and then you disappeared."

"I never disappeared. Mossad just didn't know where to look for me."

Ziva's smile vanished.

It was almost a relief when Jethro and the new finally came back. The three men watched Ziva and Jenny greet each other. Tony explained who Ziva was and that he recognized her but was sure from where exactly expect from his time in Israel. Jethro did the same for Jenny.

And unfortunately Tony's mouth once again didn't have a filter.

"Your ex Jenny." Tony felt slightly disgusted with himself for ogling someone that his dad slept with.

* * *

After she spent more time than she cared to admit starring at vending machines, Kristy figured that it was safe enough to go back to the bullpen. She knew that her dad wouldn't want her out of his sight for too long... especially after what happened in the lab.

What Kristy didn't expect to find was Ziva in a secluded corner, speaking in Hebrew. Once again Kristy was grateful for her unusual education. She really owed Tony for the Hebrew lessons. As soon as Ziva hung up she went to find a member of Team Gibbs... who preferably wasn't McGee.

* * *

Jethro was beginning to feel like he was going in circles. It seemed as though anyone who wasn't on his team couldn't believe that Ari worked for himself. He had his own games and the main goal was to cause as much bloodshed as possible. Working both sides just made it all the more entertaining for him.

* * *

Kristy finally caught up to her family as they got on the elevator.

"That Mossad chick has been in contact with Ari."

"When?" asked Jethro a little more harshly than he intended. Kristy was far too used to it to care. He already knew that was already a possibility but it was nice to have it confirmed.

"About fifteen minutes ago. Ziva was speaking Hebrew but I think I got it right. He and Ziva aren't meeting right away. I think Ari told her that you're likely going to have her tailed. Are you?"

"Yeah. Tony, Jeremy follow her in separate cars. But keep track of her but don't let her know that you're there."  
"Gotcha Boss, Rule Twenty-seven," said Tony. That wasn't a rule Kristy was familiar with Seeing her confused expression Tony explained. "There are two ways to follow someone. First way, they never notice you. Second way, they _only_ notice you."

Then Tony said something that he really didn't want to hear. "What if Ziva was right?" Now his own team, his son, was doubting Ari was the sniper.

* * *

Although Jethro wouldn't admit but he was impressed that Abby was able to narrow down What weapon Ari used down to three. But he wasn't happy with two of the three that were left, especially not the Bravo-51. Not with the weapon called Kate. If it were another sniper they wouldn't' appreciate the irony. They wouldn't appreciate the pain Gibbs would feel with that knowledge.

* * *

For Ducky it has always been a pleasure to talk to Gerald while he was recovering from when Ari shot him. However, for once, he wished that he hadn't answered his phone. At least then he could continue to believe that his former assistant was safe at home.

But now he knew that Ari had him. Now he was Gerald's only hope to escape him alive.

Ducky only hoped that his friends would forgive him he he didn't come out of this meeting alive.


	48. May 2005 pt 3

CBS and Paramount Pictures own NCIS.

You're to Blame

**You are to blame for anything that is good in my heart. You are to blame for this change that has taken me by storm. - Mercy Me**

Spoilers:_ Kill Ari part 2 _

Chapter Forty-eight – May 2005 pt. 3

Tuesday May 24, 2005

It wasn't that often that Jethro focused his anger on Ducky. But when the older man disobeyed a direct order, one that was meant to keep his family safe, he felt that it warranted a little misguided anger.

Once again it all lead to Ari. And unfortunately Jethro didn't have the proof that he needed.

Jethro also didn't appreciate Abby's attempts to calm him down. He didn't want to be calm down. He wanted to finally remove the threat that was Ari Haswari. Permanently.

He also didn't blame Ducky for leaving. Gerald Jackson was his assistant for quiet a long time. He was one of the few that found ways to avoid listening to the older man's ramblings. Yes, Gerald was a friend but sometimes friendship didn't outweigh your own personal safety.

"Maybe he heard about Kate and he called Ducky," said Abby as she tried to convince both Jethro and herself.

"They're in a pub somewhere consoling each other," followed McGee.

"Yes!"

"I don't like it," said Jethro looking at the computer.

"Why?" asked Abby and McGee simultaneously.

"I don't need a reason why!"

The three of them continued to argue even while McGee was tracking both Ducky and Gerald Jackson's cell phones. Confirming what he already knew, Ducky was in trouble, he left McGee in charge of Abby and left for Georgetown.

* * *

It was hard for Tony to keep his head on straight while keeping an eye on Ziva. He and Jeremy had separated in case the Israeli managed to slip pass one of them. But being alone meant that his mind kept Kate at the forefront of it.

* * *

It wasn't just the late hour that kept people inside, it was the pouring rain that encouraged everyone to stay at home... at least it was like that in the Georgetown neighborhood that he currently found himself in. Other than Jethro there was no one around and there definitely was no pub that Ducky and Gerald would be at.

What he did find was an empty park. In that empty park was two cell phones. One was Ducky's and the other was Gerald.

It only moments later that he was speaking to Gerald, who just so happened to be at headquarters. And it so happened that he didn't escape. Ari had let him go.

* * *

If Jethro had cared to time it he would have noted that he made back to the Navy Yard in record time. However he was too busy coordinating his next move with Tony and Jeremy. Plus, he wanted the full story of what happened when Ari nabbed Gerald. Ari wouldn't have done so without a reason. Just like he had a reason to track down Kristy at her school. The bastard wanted Jethro to know that no one was safe from him.

But Ari did leave Gerald unharmed and Jethro could not think of any reason why he would do that.

With one last goodbye from Abby he left the building.

* * *

Tony had played the spy game often from the time he turned twenty-one. Playing it with Mossad however, wasn't something he wanted to do... especially since he already had a past with them.

Plus there was the nagging feeling that he had actually met Ziva. He had the same feeling with Ari...

Then there was the girl at the pool that looked too much like Ziva for it to be a coincidence. Anyone who didn't have an eye for observation like he did wouldn't have noticed that the mystery girl and Ziva had switched robes.

He was quite proud that he managed to get Ari's alias. The fact the girl saw him wasn't important. What was important was getting the info to Jethro and getting Jeremy on the girl's tail. Hopefully she could led them to Ari.

Good thing Jethro was just outside, it was even better that he had pizza. Jethro gave Tony the pizza and Tony gave Jethro a name, René Saurel. Jethro then called McGee and gave him the name to put on a passport alert. The category – terrorism.

It was then that the girl left the hotel. Jethro kicked Tony out of the car and went to follow her cab. Tony made a quick call to Jeremy to order him to follow as well.

Ten minutes later Jethro came to a sudden stop in the middle of road because he saw Ducky's Morgan. He jumped out of his car with his gun drawn. Jeremy, on a motorcycle, kept going after the cab.

"Ari!" he yelled. "Get out Ari!"

But to Jethro's relief and disappointment it was Ducky who stepped out of the car.

"Good grief, Jethro. Put that weapon down. I've had enough excitement for tonight. Ari abducts me. Gerald strips my gears. And now you play chicken on a wet street."

"Where's Ari?"

"Well gone I imagine. We were parked about... well, a ways back. He received a cell phone call and then told me to drive down the street for ten minutes."

Jethro once again called McGee and told him what was going on. He mad his orders clear and hung up, not bothering to make sure McGee understood them. Debriefing Ducky was more important.

But when it came down to it, Jethro wasn't surprised that Ari believed that when the endgame came one of them had to die. Ari was just to arrogant to believe that it just might be him.

* * *

Wednesday May 25, 2005

Jeremy made sure that he kept his distance from the cab. The last thing he needed was to be seen. He only hoped that Tony taught him enough to be invisible.

He drove through a residential area and saw the cab stop. He kept going but not before seeing Ari taking aim with a Bravo 51. Jeremy tried to speed up but he knew he was too late and before he knew it, he was flung off his bike.

* * *

Ever since he had gotten the plague Tony had become more susceptible to the cold, not that he been outside much since he had gotten sick. But he wasn't going to let that keep him from doing his job.

"Espresso? Take it. It's not a bribe," said Ziva.

"How long have you known I was..."

"Following me? Since I left the Navy Yard."

"I don't think so."

"Blue sedan. You laid behind a white station wagon for a while, then a telephone van. You lost me at the traffic circle on..."

"Okay. You knew." She never mentioned Jeremy, meaning she didn't notice him on his motorcycle, which was the plan.

"Take it." Ziva offered Tony the espresso again. "It's chilly out here." He took the opposite coffee she was holding out to him. "You shouldn't feel bad. I was trained by the best."

"So was I."

"Um... there's a slice in there." Tony took out the pizza slice, threw the box away, and gave the slice to Ziva. "Toda."

"Prego."

There was a pause.

"I lost my little sister, Tali, in a Hamas suicide bombing. She was sixteen and the best of us. Tali had compassion."

The name Tali finally brought back all of Tony's memories. He never forgot the little girl that warned him of Eli David's intentions toward him. To hear that a such a sweet child was dead angered him. Tony struggled not to respond too strongly outwardly.

"I'm sorry." He knew that those words were meaningless since they were said to him many times after Mom and Kelly died.

"After Tali's death I was like Gibbs. All I wanted was revenge."

"Is that why you joined Mossad?"

"I was Mossad long before Tali's death. Old‒"

"Family tradition?" interrupted Tony even though he knew he was right.

"Israeli sense of duty." He almost believed her.

"C'mon. Who recruited you? Your father? Uncle? Brother? Boyfriend?"

" Aunt? Sister? Lesbian lover?"

"You're good. You almost got me off the question. Almost."

"I volunteered." He didn't believe her. " Laila tov."

"Buona notte." She walked away and Tony pulled out his phone to call Jethro. It rang before he could dial.

"Boss, good timing. Ari and Ziva are half siblings‒"

"Kiddo, I need you to get to the hospital. Ari took a shot at him and he fell off his bike."

"I'm on my way. Bethesda?" Tony really hoped that it was. The Naval hospital was the only one that could truly protect Jeremy until he got there.

"Yup."

"I'll keep you updated."

* * *

McGee was excited. He and Abby, mostly Abby, got their first real lead to finding Kate's killer. Maybe things were finally looking brighter.

* * *

Jenny Shepard didn't appreciate being called in the middle of the night, especially when the person who called was Leroy Jethro Gibbs. She really didn't like that he was asking her to be his backup. He did have a team after all.

"Well, McGee's on protection duty was Abby. Tony's at the hospital keeping tabs on what's going on with Jeremy. And since I lost‒"

"DiNozzo's what?"

"Ari took a shot at Jeremy while he was tailing a girl that was last seen with Ziva. He was tossed from his bike and is lucky to be alive."

"Well, where are you?"

"Outside!"

* * *

Jethro honestly didn't believe that Ari was at the house he and Jenny were staking out, especially since Jeremy was shot at only three blocks from where they were. He did suspect that someone was there. Waiting wasn't going to be a problem, at least not for him.

* * *

It seemed like an eternity had passed before a doctor called for the family of Jeremy Parkinson. In reality it had only been an hour.

Tony flashed his identification to the doctor. "I'm Agent DiNozzo, NCIS. Jeremy is my partner."

"Dr. Stone." They shook hands. "Dr. Parkinson is very lucky. A good portion of his body is covered in bruises and his left shoulder was dislocated, which we were able to fix easily. He has no broken bones and, thanks to his helmet, no concussion. I prescribed some painkillers, a nice cold bath, and not driving a motorcycle when it's raining."

"When can he leave? His daughter is probably getting frantic."

"As soon as he signs some release forms." As the the doctor was saying this a nurse was pushing Jeremy toward them.

"I thought you were tailing Ziva."

"After everything that happened the past twenty-four hours, the boss thought making sure you were still alive was more important. I'll update you on everything on the way back to the office. And you can tell me exactly what happened to you."

* * *

The moment Jeremy exited the elevator he braced himself for multiple painful hugs. Painful because not only was his shoulder in a lot of pain but his chest was covered in many deep tissue bruises. However he didn't need to bother. Tony, who had similar bruising on many occasions, knew that the kind of hugs that Kristy and Abby were bound to give wouldn't be welcome. He motioned for McGee to restrain Abby and caught Kristy before she could inflict any further damage.

"Sorry girls but that hug that you're wanting to give our dear shrink would be a really bad idea. It may not be obvious but right now he nothing but a giant bruise. But if either of you can't handle not being able to hug someone I'm more than willing to step in."

He only received a punch on the shoulder from Abby for that comment.

* * *

Jethro was right, someone was at the house. That someone just so happened to have Ari's Bravo 51. Unfortunately it wasn't Ari who was doing the shooting.

This meant Jeremy's claims that it was Ari who shot at him fell on deaf ears. The only witness was no where to be found and Ziva was refusing to tell where her contact was... for the protection of the contact. Most likely she wasn't even in the country anymore, or dead.

Because he possessed the Brave 51 that killed Kate, shot into Abby's lab, nearly killed Jeremy, and, most recently, was fired upon the new director of NCIS, Mohammed Esfri was labeled as the guilty party. Although motive wasn't clear.

Jethro did have one question for Jenny.

"Why did he only shoot at your side of the car last night?"

"I suppose you were right. He was trying to kill women who work with you."

"How did he know you were in the car? I called you at the spur of the moment. I parked in the dark. He couldn't see through our windshield even with a scope. That guy was sent to die, not to kill."

"No, no one's going to do that."

"Come on, Jen. Hamas suicide bombers blow themselves up all the time. It doesn't matter how a martyr dies as long as it's for the Jihad. Mohamed last night – he died for rivers of honey and seventy-two virgins."

"I'm not say you're right, but if you are, how do we prove it." They entered the elevator.

"We? Did you just join my side?"

"Jethro, I've always been on your side. What do we do?"

"Kill Ari before he kills me."

* * *

Jethro did go home to rest. He needed it it he was going to meet with Fornell in a few hours. Not a half hour later he heard his front door opening. His sons and granddaughter would feel safer under the same house as him. And he felt better knowing that they were where he could keep an eye on them. However he would have felt even better if his youngest two were at his house as well.

He just didn't want to want to explain why he wanted them there. Abby would understand... McGee, not so much.

Jethro wasn't surprised that Tony poked his head into his room.

"What took you so long to get here?"

"McGee. He was having a hard time with trying to say goodbye to Kate. Was afraid to actually go see here. I didn't want to leave him there alone, one way or the other. And since Jeremy can't drive, he and Kristy stayed as well. Her car should be fine at NCIS overnight."

"So, did he see her."

"Yeah, he saw her." Tony rubbed his face in exhaustion. "I doubt the kid ever really lost someone before."

Jethro didn't know what to say to that. It wasn't right McGee's innocence was ripped away like that.

"Get some sleep, Kiddo. We gotta be back at the office in a few hours."

* * *

Kristy still had her final exams at school. Jeremy sent her with an armed bodyguard. He originally wanted to give her a Kevlar vest but Tony talked him out of it. Explaining the bodyguard was hard enough. If it weren't for her perfect grades, the principal would have thought it was an elaborate plan to cheat on her tests.

He would never admit it to anyone outside his family, but Jethro had seen many movies in his lifetime. Tobias Fornell wasn't family... even if his boys called him Uncle Toby behind Fornell's back. So when Fornell asked his whether he watched movies or not, he said the first thing that came to his mind. "I build boats." No one would deny that as fact because many people had seen the boat in his basement, including the current director of NCIS.

But when Fornell mentioned 'The Peacemaker', one of Jethro's favorites outside 'Air Force One', he knew exact why Fornell picked that particular movie.

* * *

Ziva was getting antsy. Not that it showed. She was also very annoyed. That emotion was one she had no problems expressing.

She had many other things she would rather do that listen to Tony go on and on about movies, such as killing him and dumping the body in the Potomac River.

"Where is Gibbs?"

Jeremy glanced at Tony in warning. "Upstairs in MTAC. Talking to your father‒ I mean Deputy Director David."

"David is a common Israeli name," snapped Ziva.

"Doesn't mean he's not your father." Jeremy's eyes told Tony to stop pushing it.

Just then Jenny appeared and told Ziva that Deputy Director David wanted to speak with her. Tony let her go without another comment.

"Did they lose a nuke, Boss?" asked Tony.

"According to the Deputy Director, Israel doesn't have nukes."

"Everyone here knows that Israel has nuclear power plants," said Jeremy.

"Yeah, and the one in Dimona is missing some plutonium."

"Hamas is building a bomb?" The mere idea that Hamas had a nuke was terrifying. The target could be anything.

"They have a core. No detonator. Ari was to buy a Krytron trigger. He delivers it to the Hamas cell with the plutonium."

"Mossad grabs him."

"Only he's a little behind schedule. They're getting nervous. Deputy Director David is up there right now ordering Ziva to cooperate."

* * *

It was late afternoon when Jethro, Jenny, Tony, Jeremy, Abby, and Ziva gathered in Abby's lab. It was their last chance before Kate's funeral to convince Ziva that her brother was a murdering terrorist.

"Do you know why Ari left his brass behind? " asked Gibbs.

"You are a broken tape, Gibbs."

"Record. Broken record." Tony was ignored.

"A sniper's brass is like signing your signature. That's why a sniper always polices his brass. Lapua. Three oh eight casing. Boat-tail. Moly-coated full metal jacket bullet."

"That's what you shot as a Marine sniper. At Mossad we use Sierra Six point five hollow points."

"How do you know what I shot, Miss David?"

"She profiled you for Ari," said the director.

"Not just the boss," revealed Tony. "That's how you knew where I was born and went to school."Jethro was proud of how well he hid his panic. When Tony gave him a reassuring smile, he relaxed.

"Ari's missions involved NCIS. As his controller, of course I did dossiers on everyone he might interact with."

"It's S.O.P at Kumemiute," explained Jenny.

"Why not tell us what was going on?" demanded Jeremy. "After Ari was here the first time, when he took hostages in autopsy including myself, there was no reason for him to interact with us. You could have told us about Ari's mission, even if it was after it was completed." He took a deep breath. "Ari had some kind of fixation with Kate and Jethro."

"Ari needed to solidify his place within Hamas."

"That still doesn't tell us why no one told us who he was."

"Jeremy, this isn't the time to discuss this. I need to speak to speak with Miss David alone."

Tony grabbed Jeremy by his uninjured arm and led him out of the lab. Jenny and Abby followed.

"Jethro, that child put our entire..." he struggled to find the right word, "livelihood in jeopardy. I hope you don't forget that." With a gentle tug from Tony, they finally left.

Jethro turned toward Ziva so that he was looking directly into her eyes.

" You found out about my first wife and my daughter."

"Yes. I'm sorry."

"Then we know why Ari is shooting at women then, don't we?"

"If he wanted you to know he is the sniper, why didn't he use your rifle? An M-Forty?"

"The Bravo fifty-one he fired is called a 'Kate'!"

"I still don't believe Ari is the sniper. What you have said should be investigated."

"Well, when the media gets wind of this, it's going to create a furor."

"Are you threatening to go to the media?"

"No, not me. This could stay between Mossad and NCIS."

"In exchange for what? Setting up Ari for you to kill?"

"No. Setting me up for Ari. And if I'm wrong about this, he won't show up."

"And if you're right?"

"Then I'm counting on you to back me up."

* * *

Thursday May 26, 2005

Killing is never easy, especially when it's someone you love. And Ziva did love Ari. He was her protector and comforter.

In the end he was what nightmares were made of. A monster. He admitted that himself. The only was to stop a monster is to kill it.

Jeremy was right. Ziva was barely more that a child. However, he was also wrong. She was no more a child than Tony was at the same age. But at the moment Jethro only say the child who was grieving for her brother. A child who needed to need to be comforted.

Jethro couldn't do it. He was the one who knowingly set her up to kill her own brother after all.

* * *

Kate's funeral was the second hardest service Tony had ever attended. His mom and Kelly's of course was the hardest. Although pushing his biological mother's to third seemed a bit cold to Tony.

He was glad to see that Kate was so well loved. Dozens of people outside her family came to show their respects and to say goodbye, including a few people from the Secret Service.

The only person who didn't know Kate personally was Director Shepard.

Tony did notice that someone was missing from the funeral, Kate's older sister, Rachel. He never actually met the woman but he knew that Kate and Rachel were close. The number of calls they shared was evidence enough of that.

Mrs. Todd was more than happy to tell Tony where her lone surviving daughter was and half an hour after that he was knocking on her hotel door. The woman who opened the door was obviously red-eyed from crying.

"Hi." Tony knew he must have sounded stupid when all Rachel did was stared at him. "Oh, I'm Tony DiNozzo-Gibbs. I worked with Kate."

"Hi. I guess you want to come in." Tony did so. "What brings you here?"

"Thought you might might want to talk."

"I'm actually better at listening. Kate ever tell you that I'm a psychologist?"

"No, she didn't. That must mean you're good at keeping secrets."

"The best."

"Then I guess I can trust you to keep my family's biggest secret." Rachel nodded. "Kate never knew, but I know exactly what you're going through."

"Kate told me about you. She said you are an only child."

"My sister, Kelly," he pulled the strawberry locket from around his neck, "was killed when she was only seven. I may have been adopted into the Gibbs family but Kelly and were close as blood siblings."

"Gibbs. You mean your‒"

"Jethro Gibbs is my boss and my dad. Other than a few close friends, no one knows."

"I‒ thank you for telling me."

"Know one can know. Other than Jeremy, my partner, no one knows the the whole truth. And that's because he was there when everything happened."

"I won't say anything." There was a pause between them. "Tell me about your sister. Maybe one day I can return the favor and tell you what it was like to grow up with Kate."

Tony began talking. Before he knew it three hours had passed and her had to leave so that her could to back to Washington.

He made sure that they exchanged cell phone numbers before he left.


	49. June July 2005

CBS and Paramount Pictures own NCIS.

You're to Blame

**You are to blame for anything that is good in my heart. You are to blame for this change that has taken me by storm. - Mercy Me**

Spoilers: _Mind Games, Silver War_, and _Switch_

Chapter Forty-nine – June, July 2005

Monday June 6, 2005

Jeremy stared at the empty desk next to his. It was the first chance he got to look at it, really look at it. It wasn't the first time the desk had been empty. After Vivian Blackadder screwed the pooch in Rota back in '03 the desk had been empty for months before Kate joined the team.

But that wasn't the same thing. As far as he knew, Viv was alive and well with the FBI.

One thing though, he was grateful that he had that week off away from the office. It was nice to be around Kristy, who was still jumpy after her encounter with Ari. Also it was wonderful to talk to Brooke, the one person who wasn't shadowed by all the darkness he knew was in the world.

It will also be the first time in a week since anyone had seen or heard from Tony. He called Jethro once and told him that he was going to Miami with Rachel. Tony didn't even tell anyone what flight he was taking home.

The first thing Jeremy noticed about Tony was his tan. He had obviously spent a lot of time in the sun. The second thing he noticed were Tony's eyes. While there was still some pain in them, he seemed to almost be at peace.

"How was Florida?"

"The same as the last time we were there."

"Tony, the last time you were in Florida you were nearly bludgeoned by a lamp thanks to Petty Officer Swain. The time before that you were kidnapped by a lonely Marine housewife. And the time before that you were nearly decapitated by a sailor because he thought you were flirting with his wife, also a housewife. Only difference that time was that she had kids."

"You were nearly decapitated?" questioned McGee as he walked in.

Tony shrugged. "Yeah. A few times actually." Tony made it seem like it was no big deal.

"Didn't Jethro forbid you from going to Florida unless you had supervision?"

"C'mon Jeremy, if I stopped going to certain states just because the ol' man said I couldn't the only places I'd be allowed would be Wyoming and Hawaii. And I'm not too sure about Hawaii."

"Why not Hawaii?" asked McGee.

"Because after a certain distance the Gibbs Glare becomes less effective."

"Is that so, Tony?"

"Of course since I've known you for so long I have a certain immunity to it." Jethro only stared him down. "I have work to do. So I'll just get to it."

McGee snorted at Tony's 'immunity'. But then Jethro turned it on him causing McGee to scurry to his desk and duck behind his computer. Jethro then turned to Jeremy who only smiled and continued to read through his e-mail.

* * *

Friday June 10, 2005

It was the day that every teenager dreamed of, high school graduation. Kristina Parkinson stared at her principal as he made his speech introducing her as valedictorian. She took a steadying breath as she made her way to the podium.

"Traditionally valedictorian speeches begin with the speaker greeting those in attendance, especially family. I'm not going to do that because my group of people would be vastly different than what tradition called for. It is also broken due to the recent death of Caitlin Todd, someone I considered to be part of my family even if we weren't close. But still, I welcome you to our graduation ceremony.

"From Kate I learned that it is possible to be a woman in a career that is dominated by men. That you have to push if you want to follow your dreams... whatever they may be. She may not have been the one to teach me to speak my mind, Uncle Tony did that all on his own and sometimes I think he regrets it, but she did teach me when to listen even when I may not agree with what I was hearing. She died a hero but what I learned from her will stay with me forever.

"For the majority of my schooling I was taught by my dad, godfather, and tutors. Until I was twelve-years-old I never dreamed that I would be valedictorian. Even after I entered high school I only focused on doing the best I that could and accepted rewards when I earned them... and I did earn them.

"My school years haven't been normal. My first day in high school was September 11, 2001. It will always be tarnished as the day my dad and godfather nearly died while being trapped in the Pentagon. But it is also the day that I learned how to be strong when everything is falling apart around me.

"Soon after that I began to make friends, permanent friends that I knew that I won't have to leave after knowing them for a few weeks. I had stability. And mostly I had a place where I belonged.

"We went to school dances and football games. I'm sure you all remember Halloween 2001, where we learned that even the smallest actions can make you a hero. We did endless hours of homework. We learned about science and art.

"We should be proud of ourselves. We may not have done the impossible but we did honor our families by doing our best. That is all we can do. Our best. That's all our families expect from us. So that's what we should expect from ourselves. Thank you and semper sersum."

* * *

Monday June 12, 2005

Jenny Shepard had read many interesting personnel files since she took over as director of NCIS, but none were as interesting as the one she had on Anthony L.J. DiNozzo. It was full of the usual commendations dating back from when he first joined Gibbs' team. There was even a side note from DiNozzo's days as a Baltimore detective. However, there was very little on him from before then.

It wasn't a surprise to find that there wasn't any living relatives listed, but it was a surprise to find that Jethro was his next of kin as well as his medical proxy. Other than a semester at Ohio State University no education was mentioned other than the fact he had a Master's degree. The fact that the name of the school DiNozzo graduated from was blacked out confused Jenny. The file did put a lot of emphasis on his short-lived college sports career as well as the broken leg he received during that endeavor.

However when he left Ohio it was as though he didn't even exist until he became a detective in Baltimore. She did find his his scores from FLETC even if the dates he attended were blacked out but she found nothing about him going to police academy.

When Jenny found that DiNozzo's security clearance was nearly as high as hers and was higher than many of her Senior Agents she decided that it was time to call Tom Morrow. That proved to be nothing more than a wasted of time. And while he wouldn't stop singing DiNozzo's praises, he would answer a single one of her questions she had about him. All Tom would say was trust Jethro. Needless to say that wasn't what she wanted to hear.

She had no choice but to actually speak with DiNozzo.

"Agent DiNozzo, thank you for meeting me."

"Of course, Madam Director. What is it that you wanted to see me about?" She chose to ignore the 'Madam Director'.

"I read your personnel file. A few things I found in it were rather disturbing."

"Such as," Tony prompted.

"Such as the fact that Jethro is your next of kin..." She paused for a moment knowing that there was no way to say her next words delicately. "And since it's well known around here that he killed your father..."

"Anthony DiNozzo Senior nearly killed me. Boss wouldn't have killed the man unless it was 100% necessary. I also know that he wants what's best for me and I trust that he'll make good decisions regarding my health if I can't."

"Surely you have friends that would be willing to be your next of kin."

"I do, including Jeremy Parkinson. But at the moment Boss is also his next of kin as well. It's just easier to do it this way."

Jenny decided to let it be for now. If Jethro wanted to be his agents next of kin he could. She didn't have the authority to decide otherwise.

"I also found that you file is very incomplete. Where did go for your police training?"

"I didn't."

"But your file says that you were a detective in Baltimore."

"I was undercover. The Boss and Abby Sciuto know this. None of the others do... well Jeremy was my partner behind the scenes, so he knows as well."

"Undercover? With what agency?"

"NCIS."

Jenny couldn't have looked more confused. DiNozzo's file said that he first began at NCIS in 2001. "How long..."

"That information is classified."

"I'm the director. I think I should know how long my employees have been employed."

"You may be the director but you'll still need SecNav and the president's signatures to unseal my whole file. Now if that is all I have work to do."

* * *

Friday June 17, 2005

As much as Jethro liked, well maybe not liked but tolerated, Paula he wasn't sorry to see her go. She was a good agent and had potential to be a team leader one day. Paula knew how to keep Tony in line and McGee was comfortable around her.

But Paula was also a distraction to Tony. She was too much like Kate; they both even had the same sense of humor. Jethro also suspected that Tony may have feelings for Paula that went beyond platonic. Paula too seemed interested in Tony. And that wasn't helping anyone. So the further away she was the better, at least for now. The possibilities in the future were anyone's guess.

Plus there was the fact it didn't look right to see someone attempting to sit behind Kate's desk too soon since her death. She wasn't Kate and they made it clear that she didn't belong. The position was just TAD. The 'T' did stand for temporary after all. That didn't mean they weren't friendly... or at least Tony and McGee were friendly. Jethro, while not mean, couldn't have been described as friendly. That just wasn't part of his personality, no matter what Abby may say.

If she had stayed Paula would be a reminder that the team almost lost her to Kyle Boone's copycat, Adam O'Neil. Jethro didn't need that so soon after Kate.

Jethro had a feeling that Paula was also happy to get away while she could. The stress of working for him was just too much for her... especially if that meant having to crawl up filthy fireplaces that had more than a few dead animals.

* * *

Saturday June 18, 2005

Now when the Gibbs-Parkinson-Hayes family went on a trip it always required at least three vehicles. With so many Hayes children that wasn't really a surprise. The youngest road with Samantha and with the triplets not even a month old yet Sam didn't want to part from them. Sam also had Riley (two almost three) as she was the only one still in a car seat. Little Tony (12), Addison (11), Peyton (10) and (much to the dislike of the older three) Darby (7) was with Alex. That left big Tony, Jethro, Jeremy, Kristy, and Brooke in Jeremy's Jeep.

"OK," said Brooke from the backseat, "I understand that Sam wants a family portrait, but why do we have to go all the way to Annapolis to get it done?"

"It's safer this way. No one knows that I'm a Gibbs. So we need a photographer that most likely won't turn up in an investigation."

"But isn't Annapolis where the Naval Academy is at? And under what circumstance would a photographer be part of one of your investigations?"

"It was either Annapolis or Baltimore. And since Tony and I once worked in Baltimore, we chose Annapolis," explained Jeremy.

"As for the photographer... well it hasn't happened yet but we do get some pretty weird cases," said Jethro.

* * *

Monday June 20, 2005

It was the fact that he grew up around alcoholics that caused Tony to monitor how much he drank. However there were some circumstances that had Tony running to the bottle. And as long as his dad was the only one to see him when he was at his lowest, he was okay with it. Plus, Jethro would cut him off before he drank too much. He did have work in the morning.

He hadn't been to a Civil War Reenactment in years. There was no reason for him to go. The last case, though, had their victim dressed up as a Union solider who had ties to the CWR. And as hard as Jethro tried he couldn't keep the bad memories at bay. Being reminded that he was once called 'little pooh boy' wasn't that traumatic but it still hurt DiNozzo Senior would put him through that.

The reappearance of Ziva David also didn't help things. Tony didn't get the impression that he remembered him. They had only met the once. It was far more likely that Eli would remember him if he ever put together that Tony Gibbs and and Tony DiNozzo are the same person.

Tony knew that he had to learn how to work with Ziva. It wasn't likely the director would send her home or to a different agency just because he was uncomfortable around the girl. Tony doubted Jenny would send Ziva home if he feared for his life around her... however if she kept driving like she did the whole country could claim that they feared for their lives when she was on the road.

Though Tony did find is almost ironic how many people from his past are now part of his present. Pretty soon he'll be looking over his shoulder for Kathryn. Even though he had the resources to find her, he never once tried to. For all he knew, it was possible.

When his mind became sufficiently fuzzy, Tony said good night and unsteadily when upstairs to bed.

* * *

Thursday June 30, 2005

"So, Uncle Tony told me about me about how that new director tried to make you wear a suit to work. I believe he called it 'career girl Barbie'," said Kristy as she spun in he favorite chair in Abby's lab.

"I'm going to kill him."

"Why? Is the suit really that bad?" The face Abby made was the only answer Kristy needed. "The next weekend you are free we are going shopping. You need clothes that you're comfortable in but still court appropriate and I need school supplies for when I start school in September."

"You never did tell me where you're going."

"There weren't that many for me to chose from. Waverly and GW were my top two since I'm not comfortable with living so far from home. I actually thought that I can live at home. Going to college in Baltimore was also an option but Dad and Uncle Tony didn't like the idea of such a long commute if I decided to live in the city." Grandpa Jethro was the one who actually threatened to take away her car if she chose a college further than a half hour drive from home. Kristina wasn't sure of the legality of that but she wasn't taking any chances. She liked having her own car. "I liked GW more. It has a great Criminology program and I can take as many foreign language courses as I want."

"Don't you already know a dozen languages already?"

"It's only seven if you don't count English. I can pick up languages easily enough that I don't see the point in not learning more. And don't think that you can change the subject so easily. Are you going to let me take you shopping for court clothes?"

"Alright, I'll go with you." It was nearly impossible to say no to the girl.

"Great! I'll call Brooke and tell her that you agreed to come with us. And I can pick out a birthday present for Uncle Tony and Riley. I can't believe she's turning three. I'd ask Auntie Sam to come with but she hates shopping after having a baby."

"You are aware that I'm only getting a few outfits, right?"

"Sure, sure. But that doesn't mean that we can't make a girls' day out of it. Besides, I'm getting more than a few outfits. College isn't that kind for a sixteen-year-old."

* * *

Saturday July 2, 2005

When Abby, Kristy and Brooke arrived at the mall none of them were surprised by the mass of people crowding each and every store. It seemed as though half of DC's female population decided that two days before the Fourth of July was the perfect day to go shopping for a cute new outfit or bikini.

Kristy wasn't too hopeful that she would find many clothes for herself. Nothing seemed appropriate for a new college student. She also wanted more than t-shirts and jeans, not that she would never wear t-shirts and jeans to class.

Brooke was having a hard time as well. Although her trouble was trying to convince Abby that she wasn't trying to take away her individualism. She kept telling Abby that she needed more than two outfits for court and could wear whatever she wanted any other day. The only thing Brooke forbade her from buying was pastels since Abby was naturally pale even without her usual layer of powder. Abby didn't have a problem with that. No, what she protested the loudest about were the brightly colored blouses.

"Alright, what's wrong with that one?" asked Brooke.

"I look like a flower."

Both Kristy and Brooke tilted their heads to the right trying to imagine what an Abby-flower would look like. For some reason neither one of them thought it would be a buttercup yellow, a dark purple or maybe indigo but not yellow.

"You don't look like a flower," rebuffed Kristy.

"The right blazer or sweater will tone down the yellow," added Brooke.

"Navy blue jacket and white slacks?"

"That would work."

The whole time Kristy and Brooke were planning the outfit Abby was cringing in horror. The combination they were discussing was the exact opposite of what she considered to be comfortable.

"I don't know how you got away with wearing such ill-fitting suits for so long," chatted Brooke.

"Huh?"

Brooke glanced at Abby and noticed that she was an odd shade of green.

"Abs, are you okay?"

"I thought we were just getting a few suits."

"Aw, Honey, you really are out of your element here. Why don't you pick out a few neutral colored suit jackets, skirts, and slacks while Kristy and I pick out some appropriate blouses and scarves."

"No, yellow," Abby tried to bargain.

"A minimal amount of yellow," Brooke countered. "No completely yellow blouses."

Abby paused for a moment, considering Brooke's offer. Eventually she nodded her consent.

* * *

Friday July 8, 2005

McGee wasn't that surprised when he didn't get an invitation that night to go out to celebrate Tony's birthday. In fact, ever since Ziva became part of the team he hadn't hung out with Tony or Jeremy once. Sure it hadn't even been a month yet, but it was still odd. McGee couldn't believe that he actually missed going to various hole in the wall restaurants with the older men.

When Tony arrived McGee expected the birthday boy to immediately start ripping through his cards and letters. Instead, the brightly colored envelopes were put away in the bottom draw of Tony's desk... except for one ordinary plain white envelope with a foreign stamp. He knew Tony had traveled a lot in the past and had friends overseas, so foreign mail wasn't that unusual. But Tony putting his birthday cards away was, so McGee made sure to keep his ears open for anything odd.

Soon enough Tony let out an angry squawk. McGee turned his attention from his work to enjoy the show.

"Miss David I would appreciate it if you would refrain from stealing my mail."

Ziva scoffed. "You expect me to believe that you know someone in Russia." Without even looking at the envelope she put it in her own desk drawer and locked it. With someone like Tony around she knew that any foreign correspondence should not be read at work.

"I don't care what you believe. However, since you currently have a letter in your desk that has a Russian stamp as well as my name on it, then it is clearly a fact that I know someone in Russia."

It was at that point Director Shepard and Jethro made their presence known. Shepard, although much smaller than her agent, stood toe-to-toe with Tony.

"Madam Director, good morning." Tony smiled at her.

"May I ask what's going on?"

"Nothing that requires your attention."

"That isn't what I asked, Agent DiNozzo." She looked around for the weakest link. "Agent McGee! What is going on"

McGee looked to his boss for permission to speak and relaxed when he received a slight nod. "Today is Ton- I mean Agent DiNozzo's birthday. He was about to read one of his letters when Z- Officer David snatched it out of DiNozzo's hands. Without even looking at it, Officer Da-"

"Alright, McGee," interrupted Shepard, "that's enough. Ziva, may I see the letter in question?"

For a moment Ziva thought about giving her a different letter but realized she didn't have anything with a matching stamp. Believing it was hers, Ziva still didn't look at the name on it.

Shepard, however, did look at the name. "Ziva, go up to my office. It seems we need to have a discussion about acceptable behaviors I expect you to follow."

Ziva's smirk disappeared. "I do not understand."

"I'll explain everything upstairs. Now go." Ziva finally did as she was told. "Agent DiNozzo I assure you this will not happen again." With that said, Shepard followed Ziva upstairs... after returning the letter.

Only moments later Jeremy arrived. "So, did I miss anything?"

"Yeah," said Jethro, "the director told Ziva that she has bad manners."

* * *

Saturday July 9, 2005

It wasn't until Riley's birthday party was almost over that Jethro 'told' Tony that he was expected to be at the house later that night. So Tony knew that he was pushing his luck when he heard the grandfather clock chime twice as he made his way down to the basement. He subconsciously stayed well outside head-slap range.

For quite some time the two of them worked on the boat in near silence. Jethro hoped that Tony would stay calm as he sanded a knot out of one of the ribs.

"Ziva isn't the enemy."

"Well, she certainly isn't an ally, at least not mine."

"I trust her."

"And because of that I'll trust her to have my six while in the field. I won't trust her with anything personal. She's too dangerous. I can't trust that she won't tell Mossad all of our secrets. Because of Ziva, Ari already used their knowledge of Mom and Kelly against you. If Mossad discovers who I really am they might decide that our whole family is a threat."

"I won't let that happen. Not even the director can get access to your whole file."

"And that's why I don't see Shepard as anything more than an annoyance. She may ask questions but she sure don't know how to get answers." Tony paused. "Which makes me wonder how she got the job."

"Jenny is one of the best agents I have ever worked with."

"Dad, please don't call her Jenny. It's only a reminder that you slept with her." Jethro ignored his son's shudder. Tony then went back on topic. "Ziva would do anything to get answers, maybe even kill someone."

"Maybe I should keep my distance from you and Jeremy while at work."

"I don't think that will work. Ziva already knows that we are close... she just doesn't need to know how close. I think all that we can do is keep an eye on her and hope for the best."

* * *

Tuesday July 12, 2005

Even after only working two cases with Gibbs' team she was beginning to understand that there was no such thing as a normal case, first with the treasure hunt and now with man pretending to be Jerry Smith because the real Jerry Smith slept with the Commanding Officer's wife. It really came as a surprise that the real Jerry Smith's wife was the killer... and only because Jerry Smith was a chronic cheater.

She still wanted to know what was in the case.

In the end it seemed that the only true victim was Max the capuchin. With John Kirby (aka the fake Jerry Smith) going to jail, Max was going to be displaced from his home once again.

A/N The dates between _Mind Games_ and _Honor Code _are a little difficult to pinpoint between the dates that they aired and when they happened in the NCIS Universe. I give _Mind Games, Silver War, and Switch _a June/July date because it's still a relatively short time since Kate's death in late May. It isn't until _Under Covers _that we have an actual reliable date given that the Marines' birthday is in November. But even after that the dates get a little muddled with _Iced_ being dated as March even though it aired in April. I will do my best to establish a realistic time-line. Any advice on the time-line is welcome.


End file.
